Burn It Down
by MizHyde
Summary: With their respective WrestleMania wins behind them, Seth Rollins and Jory Moody start getting the feeling that life in the WWE is good. But, as they'll soon learn, life doesn't always come with happy endings.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue:**_

 _ **June 2017**_

* * *

"Ugh. I can't believe you invited them _here_ , to our home," Dean Ambrose lamented dramatically, leaning against the counter as he rolled his eyes. He shook his head in disbelief. "How could you do this to me? This is my one respite, the _one_ place where I don't have to see his stupid ugly face and hear his stupid fucking laugh. You're really going to desecrate our home like this?"

Renee Young didn't look up from the cutting board, her eyes on the cucumber she was cutting to put in the garden salad that was set to go with dinner. She shook her head, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. Her short blonde hair was pinned back, with a few wispy strands framing her face. She was dressed casually for the summer weather, in a denim romper and tan sandals.

"She's my friend, and she just so happens to be dating him at the moment," Renee reminded him. "You're just going to have to put your big boy pants on and suck it up. It's only for tonight, and then they're off to California." She looked up from her work, taking in the view from her kitchen window. It was a bright, beautiful day, a perfect day to have a barbecue with friends and enjoy a good glass of wine. Turning her attention back to the counter, she reached for the red bell pepper.

"Fine. She's your friend. She can have the guest room. He can sleep in the doghouse."

" _Dean!"_ Renee couldn't help but laugh.

"And if Blue has an issue with that, he can sleep on the lawn. In the back, though. I don't want the neighbors to see him." Dean shuddered. Renee was shaking her head. Reaching over, Dean grabbed a piece of cucumber and popped it into his mouth. "I read something somewhere about sage cleansing dark spirits. Maybe we should do that when he leaves."

"You're incorrigible."

"You married me," he reminded her cheerfully, stealing a piece of yellow bell pepper. He leaned over.

"Best behavior tonight," she told him. "For the love of God."

"You scared I'm gonna embarrass you?" he asked with a grin. Renee grabbed an orange bell pepper.

"You ever think of like...I dunno...just talking it out with Seth?" Renee asked. Dean looked at his wife as if she had grown a second head. "I'm serious. It's been three years. I mean, Roman's already made up with him."

"Roman's his own man. I'm mine." He shrugged. He looked out the window. "I gotta go pick up more propane for the barbecue." He went into the junk drawer and handed Renee a black marker.

"What's this?" she asked.

"I want you to put an X on everything he touches when he gets here. That way I know what to burn when he leaves." Renee put the marker down, exasperated.

"Go. You're killing me."

"Slowly but surely. It's what I do best," he told her with a grin. He reached for his black baseball cap on the edge of the counter and put it on his head. "I'll be back in a few."

"See you when you get back," she told him. He gave his wife a quick peck on the lips, taking another piece of cucumber before he left the kitchen. She waited to release her exasperated sigh until the door shut behind him. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she continued to work, not at all surprised to find that she got her prep work done faster without him around. Sliding the vegetables from the cutting board into the salad bowl, Renee loaded the board into the dishwasher. Her eyes fell on the clock; Jory and Seth would be arriving any minute.

She knew that Seth was going to be uncomfortable; things were still incredibly frosty between the former teammates, and both Seth and Renee knew that this was something that was going to be fixed on Dean's terms, and on his timeline. Two months removed from _WrestleMania,_ there didn't appear to be any end in sight to their rift.

Seth and Jory were in the area on a couple's getaway; Renee had mentioned to Jory about the canals and the gondola rides, and Jory was sold. It seemed like the right thing to do to offer her friend space at the house, but Dean's standoffish attitude about the two of them was looking to make for a tense evening. Seth and Jory were only staying for the night; they were leaving for Long Beach in the morning, and the following day they were going to be headed to the Staples Centre in Los Angeles for _Raw_.

Renee's thoughts were pulled from everything when the doorbell rang. Wiping her hands on a nearby dishcloth, Renee made her way to the front door. Swinging it open without looking through the peep-hole, Renee grinned when she found Seth and Jory standing on the other side. Seth was dressed casually in black skinny jeans and a Black and Brave T-shirt underneath a Blackcraft hoodie, his hair pulled back into a low ponytail, his glasses on. Jory stood in front of him, armed with a paper bag, smiling nervously. She was dressed in black slashed leggings and a black and red striped tank top that fell to her knees. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. She wasn't wearing any makeup.

"Hey!" Renee greeted, stepping to the side to allow the couple access to the house.

"Hey! Thanks for having us over." Jory crossed the threshold, giving her friend a hug. "I brought wine. Lots of wine. White, red, rose...I wasn't sure what you're into, so I thought I'd grab a little of everything."

"Wine is wine," Renee assured her with a laugh. Seth walked into the house slowly, shutting the door gently behind him. Inside the house he stood a little straighter, his brown eyes darting around his surroundings. He looked at the wide open space, airy with natural light and decorated beautifully. Releasing her hold on Renee, the two women turned to Seth, and they knew he felt out of place.

"Seth..." Jory started.

"Where's your man?" Seth asked.

"He went to get some propane for the barbecue. He'll be back in a bit," Renee told him. She flashed him a smile that did very little to put Seth at ease. "He promised no fistfights, so relax. I mean, what would the neighbors think?"

"Since when has Deano ever cared about what anyone thinks?" Seth asked.

"He knows the golden rule – happy wife, happy life," Renee told him flatly. "So ease up – you've got nothing to worry about tonight." The trio walked into the kitchen. Jory put the bags down on the counter.

"Can I help with anything?" Jory offered.

"Nope. I'm all good here. Steaks are marinating in the fridge. Salad's done. Potatoes are done up and wrapped up. Just relax." Seth and Jory sat down on the stools in front of the counter. Seth's eyes fell on the black marker. "So, you guys are off to Long Beach tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Just to see the sights a bit," Jory said. "I'm kind of hoping to do a wine tour tomorrow. I've never done it."

"Really?" Renee asked, incredulous. Jory nodded. "Girl, you, me, and the Bella's need to do a weekend in Napa. That's like, the wine capital of the world." Renee shot a look at Seth. "We're gonna have to borrow your woman for a weekend one of these days."

"Evidently," Seth said with a smile. "Just...take it easy on her. We haven't been together long enough for me to cough up a liver for her." Jory shot him a look. "Just stating a fact."

"I respect it," Jory said with a laugh. "I guess that calls for wine. Where do you keep your glasses?"

"Up there," Renee replied, pointing at the cupboard. Jory slid out of her seat and went to the cupboard. She didn't bother asking Seth; he wasn't going to have any wine. He only had a glass of beer here and there, and he didn't bother to stop for any on the trip, in spite of his instincts to do so. Grabbing a glass for herself and Renee, she brought it to the island. "What are you guys thinking of doing in the LBC?" Renee asked.

"I want to go to a dive bar with a live band," Jory confessed. "I haven't done that since I hit legal age."

"I'm just following her," Seth said with a smile. "She's taking the reins here."

"Red or white?" Jory asked. Renee took a moment to think about her answer carefully.

"White for now." Jory poured two glasses of white, sliding one over to Renee before she took herself back to her seat. She looked over at Seth. His leg was bouncing. Reaching out, she put a hand on his knee to try and calm him. He looked over at her, and, suddenly self-conscious, forced himself to stop. He looked out the window, at the backyard.

The front door opened. "Honey, I'm home!"

Seth stiffened. Jory shot him a reassuring look and squeezed his knee gently. Dean walked into the kitchen, holding onto the propane tank. He gave Jory and Seth a curt nod before he crossed the kitchen and walked outside. With a sigh, Seth got up and followed after him. Jory opened her mouth to speak but clamped her mouth shut as Seth walked outside. Renee shook her head.

"I just wish those two would make up already," Renee said after the door closed.

"Me, too. They miss each other."

"We all know that. My husband is just a stubborn man." She shook her head. "Seth hurt him terribly."

"I know he did." Jory looked down at her glass. "I also know how much he regrets what he did in hindsight."

"Hindsight is always twenty-twenty," Renee said with a sigh.

"I hear that," Jory agreed, taking a big sip of her wine. The two women looked out the window at the men standing around the barbecue. Dean was working at replacing the propane tank. Seth was staring at the tree. Jory knew there were words being spoken between the men, but she couldn't begin to know what they were saying to each other. While Seth's friendship with Roman was on the mend, almost back to where it was before he'd swung the chair on that warm night in June 2014, Dean still remained the holdout, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to see that Seth's actions had devastated Dean in ways that he himself couldn't quite comprehend.

"The ship will right itself," Renee assured Jory. "I know Roman's trying. I know The Shield is something special to Roman, and whether or not my husband wants to admit it, it was very important to him, too."

"He can hold a grudge, huh?"

"You have no idea," Renee said with a laugh. She went into the fridge and pulled out the glass container with the marinating steaks. "I'll get you to take these out to the guys. Don't look like that – if Dean hasn't shoved Seth's face into the grill by now, it's not happening."

"Not helping." Jory picked up the container and took it outside. The men turned when she stepped outside. "It's just me," she told them. "Renee sent me out with the steaks."

"You guys got any plans for tonight?" Dean asked. Seth shook his head.

"Maybe see the sights a bit, but I have no idea..."

"I know a few places I think you guys will dig. Renee mentioned the gondolas..." Jory nodded. "We'll hit that. She'll want to go out with you guys anyway, so I'll show you some spots."

"Thank you," Jory told him, putting the steaks down beside the barbecue. The trio fell quiet as Renee walked out with the bowl of foil-wrapped potatoes. Jory studied the backyard. Seth slipped behind her, his arms circling her waist, his head resting on her shoulder. While things were still pretty new with Seth, Jory found herself wondering how she ever did life without him. She wasn't sure if he felt the same way, but so far, with a few small exceptions, life felt good.


	2. Controlled Chaos

**Chapter 1:**

 **Controlled Chaos**

* * *

Standing alone in the middle of the ring, Seth stared out at the crowd of over thirteen thousand people with an enormous smile on his face. At that moment, he couldn't help but think to himself that his life was as good as it was ever going to get. While he waited for his music to fade in the speakers, he took a moment to reminisce about the days when he wrestled in armories for a few hundred people, driving hundreds of miles for little money, dreaming about the day when he would get to headline the biggest professional wrestling show in the world in the largest arenas.

Now, here he was, with the Intercontinental Championship over his shoulder, with a great career, a solid fan-base, good friends and an amazing girlfriend who would do anything for him. It never seemed to matter what he did or wanted to do, Jory supported him unconditionally, always willing to offer a shoulder to cry on or an ear to vent into. After over a year of scorched Earth, it finally felt like everything was coming up roses for Seth Rollins. With one notable exception, it felt like his universe had finally realigned.

Since _WrestleMania_ , Seth's reign as Intercontinental Champion had been dominated by Dolph Ziggler and his quest to take the championship. A stellar competitor with a long and respectable career, Dolph – to nobody's surprise – had proven to be a formidable challenge for Seth. But the man known as the Kingslayer, and the Architect – monikers that weren't just to put on T-shirts, as far as Seth concerned – managed to keep himself two steps ahead of Dolph. Now, with Dolph failing to capture the title, it was time for the veteran to head to the back of the line. Seth was ready for someone else to step up to the plate, someone young and hungry, someone who was more than willing to give Seth Rollins a run for his money. If he lost, he lost, but he wanted to lose to the best the business had to offer.

"Man, I love this!" Seth announced to the crowd. He slid the title down his arm and caught it in his hand, holding it high above his head. "I'm out here to announce the return of the Open Challenge!"

The crowd roared with approval. Still holding the championship above his head, Seth turned his attention to the entrance ramp. "If anybody in the back wants to come on out here and give me the fight of my life, then come on out and try and take this title from me. I dare you."

Lowering the microphone from his lips, Seth turned and crossed the ring to hand the Intercontinental title to the timekeeper. As the timekeeper walked away from Seth with the title, the lights went off in the arena. Wheeling to look at the stage, Seth squinted. It was dark, so dark that he couldn't see anything.

Lines of blue light swept over the arena and down the ramp. The noise of a Cessna in flight and the voice of a female dispatcher echoed through the sound system. Around him, the crowd buzzed with excitement, getting so loud they drowned out every thought he had. After a few moments, the sound of the plane and the dispatch came to a halt with a deep, slowed down and guttural laugh.

Then the music started.

A thick fog began to swirl on the stage. Through the curtains the three men emerged, taking their place on the stage. Seth studied them, taking in their leather vests and their face covers. Eyes drifting up, he looked at the name on the Tron.

Sanity.

He knew who they were. Led by Eric Young, the trio was an NXT faction, in his eyes Hunter's attempt to build a shiny new Shield. Seth knew they usually had a woman with him, a Scottish wrestler named Nikki Cross, but there was no sign of her on the stage with the men. It took him a few seconds to realize that she had probably been left behind in NXT, that it was likely only the men had been invited to the dance first.

The trio began to make their way down to the ring, stomping in unison. Seth stood in the middle of the ring in his best fight-or-flight stance. His eyes darted around the ring. Eric Young, their leader, a grizzled veteran with over a decade of wrestling under his belt, stood directly in front of him. Alexander Wolfe was taking his place on the left side of the ring, while brawny Irish brawler Killian Dain took his place on the right. It wasn't lost on Seth that the three men were taking a page directly out of The Shield's playbook, using tactics that himself, Dean and Roman had used to great success only a few years before. He knew that the men in front of him weren't stupid, that they knew their wrestling history and were more than willing to use the same moves. There was no cheering from the crowd; everyone seemed tense. It dawned on Seth that nobody was going to come and save him. He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Knowing there was no real way out of the situation but to fight, Seth took a run at the biggest one, Killian Dain. The other men entered the ring quickly, grabbing Seth by the arms and dragging him away from their teammate, throwing him back onto the canvas. Seth rolled and was on his feet in a flash, jumping onto Eric, swinging at him blindly. It wasn't a match for his title; it was a fight for survival. The goal for Seth now was to keep himself from ending up in the hospital.

The numbers game caught up quickly to Seth, the same way it had to so many when The Shield had run dominant over _Raw_ and _SmackDown_ only five years before. While Eric recuperated in the corner, holding his jaw, glaring at the middle of the ring, Killian and Alexander set Seth up for their Devastation suplex/power slam combination.

Straightening his posture, still rubbing his jaw, Eric took his place between Alexander and Killian, the three of them standing over Seth's unconscious body. Eric's expression was deranged, his eyes wide. His hands were curled at his sides, his head cocked to the right. All around them, the crowd booed loudly as their music blared through the speakers. Satisfied with their work, the trio left the ring, walking back up the ramp, leaving Seth in a sprawled out heap in the middle of the canvas.

* * *

"Jesus. I saw what happened out there. Are you okay?"

Seth pulled the ice pack away from his neck and raised his head, eyes blazing with frustration. The angry answer he had prepared died on his lips, his expression softening when he saw Jory standing in front of him, her face contorted with concern. She was dressed in her one-piece black and violet rhinestone ring gear. Her makeup was done with a violet smoky eye and a nude lip, her hair done up in a braided ponytail. Reaching out, she brushed a strand of black hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear, a sweet gesture that he was far too angry to appreciate at the moment. Her lips were pursed together, her eyes narrowing when he winced underneath her touch.

She knew it wasn't just the attack that had him angry; even though they had patched things up, Roman hadn't come to help. Seth had been left to fend for himself out in the ring, and it had left him beaten down and humiliated. She took a step back when she saw the anger shining in his eyes, her hands raising slightly. "Should I go? Do you want me to just leave you alone?" she asked him.

Picking up his bag of ice, Seth placed it back on his neck and huffed. "No, no. Don't do that," he told her with a grunt. He shifted on the examination table, using his free hand to tap the empty space beside him. "Have a seat. Sit."

Jory sat down beside him on the table. The two of them were quiet for a few moments. "I see they left Nikki down in NXT," Jory observed. She looked down at her feet, watching them swing absently. "If she makes her crazy ass up this way, I'll be waiting in the wings for her," she promised.

"Thanks."

"I know you feel like your back is against the wall right now, but you'll realize pretty quickly that you've got this," she assured him. "The things you've done, the things you continue to do in spite of the odds...you're Seth Rollins. They don't call you The Architect for nothing." She could see that he didn't care about her reminder, that he was so far down his rabbit hole of anger that there was going to be no real way to pull him out.

"This is different," he told her, slamming his ice pack down between them. "Three guys to one doesn't make for good odds. I know – I used to play the numbers game. And I used to play them better than anybody."

"If you're worried about that, then maybe it's time to find some new allies. I mean, there's Finn. There's Cesaro and Sheamus, there's..."

"I don't want to talk about this right now," he snapped angrily. Jory sighed, her gaze falling back to her feet. His tone had the effect of cutting her to the core, and she felt a wave of shame and embarrassment hit her like a bucket of ice water at being chastised at work by her man. Jory slid off the examination table.

"Fine. It's dropped. I've gotta go. I've got a match with Dana. I just wanted to check on you." Before Seth could say anything before he could even think about an apology, Jory was gone, the door closing behind her. Frustrated, he threw his ice pack down to the ground, the ice cracking against the concrete.

" _Fuck_."

* * *

"Hey, Jory. Is your man okay?"

She turned her head in time for Baron Corbin to fall in step beside her, dressed in black jeans and a Blackcraft T-shirt underneath a black hoodie. A black beanie covered his head. Even though he was a _SmackDown_ Superstar, Baron was quickly becoming a fixture backstage at _Raw_ , constantly in closed-door meetings with Stephanie McMahon. Tall, quiet, and mysterious, Jory's new and sudden friendship with the man known as the "Lone Wolf" was still a very strange one to her. It had started innocently enough, just after her defeat of Stephanie McMahon, with Baron out of the blue following her on Instagram and liking almost every picture she'd posted. She had mentioned it to Seth, finding it strange that Baron would suddenly be so aware of her existence, but the two of them had just shrugged it off. The first time they had spoken was after _Money in the Bank_ , where he'd won the briefcase.

"He'll be fine," she told him with a sigh. "You know how it is when someone gets the drop on you. It torpedoes your whole night." Baron nodded; he'd been there a few times in his career. Jory stopped walking, Baron stopping beside her. Crossing her arms over her chest, she pivoted on him, staring down at her black wrestling boots. "So...hot new signings for _Raw_ , huh?"

"I know what you're getting at, and I promise you I had no idea," Baron told her, raising his hands in surrender. "Signings are still Stephanie and Kurt's thing. I pretty much just get their coffee at this point. I'm not privy to negotiations yet. I swear."

"I'm not accusing you of anything. Calm down," Jory told him with a sigh, her shoulder sagging. Baron's lips pursed into a thin line. Not wanting to engage in the conversation any longer, she began to walk away, but Baron stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, and he examined every detail on her face, and her tense body language. His expression became soft and sympathetic.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked.

"I've got a match with Dana Brooke," she told him. At this point, Jory wanted nothing more than for her night to come to a swift end. She wanted to go back to her hotel room with Seth, eat ice cream, and catch up on _Game of Thrones_. Ideally, that was what their night would look like, but Jory knew it was going to be a night of walking on eggshells because Seth's mood had been bombed to smithereens by Sanity. Jory wasn't sure if it was worth going back to the hotel at the end of the night; there was a part of her that wanted to set up a girl's night on the fly.

Baron watched her leave, his lips pursed into a thin line. He'd heard a lot of things about Jory since coming up from NXT, things that he'd learned were untrue just by talking to her. The biggest thing he'd come to learn about her was that she wore her heart on her sleeve. She could tell him that things were fine, but he could see the opposite was true, that her moods were already synced to Seth's, and the attack had killed her mood dead. To him, it was a shame; he loved to see her smile, to hear her laugh. She was always a bright spot in the _Raw_ locker room.

With a shake of his head, he turned around and walked back down the hall towards Stephanie's office. He hoped that Jory would somehow be able to salvage her night somehow, hopefully starting with a win over Dana Brooke.

* * *

Dressed in a black sports bra that zipped up in the front, with black ADIDAS sports shorts with a white stripe down the side, Jory stood in the bathroom of her hotel room, staring at her reflection in the mirror after she brushed her hair. It had been a tense night, followed by a silent car ride back to the hotel. Jory was looking forward to crawling into bed and putting the entire day behind her. Defeating Dana had done little to lift her spirits; instead of Seth waiting for her with a kind word and a hug, it had been Baron.

Seth appeared behind her, his arms slipping around her waist, pulling her back into his body. He placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck. "I'm sorry about earlier," he offered with a sigh, resting his chin on her right shoulder. Jory sighed.

"It's fine," she told him, placing her hairbrush on the counter. "I get it. It's frustrating." She turned, and Seth adjusted so his arms circled her waist. She placed her hands on his shirtless chest. "How's your neck?" she asked.

"Still there," he told her with a smirk. She did the same. "It's going to take a lot more than a three-on-one attack to keep a guy like me down for the count." He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and offered her a smile. "You did great with Dana tonight. At this point, Kurt would be an idiot not to put you in the race for the Women's title."

"That's the dream," she told him. It wasn't a secret that she had been frustrated since _WrestleMania_. Since defeating Stephanie, her profile had climbed, but it hadn't led to the Women's title or pay-per-view posters like people had speculated. "But who knows?"

Seth's left hand moved up her side, moving over the curve of her breast, his finger looping through the silver hoop of her zipper. With a gentle tug, the zipper started to come down. He leaned in and kissed her neck, just beneath her ear, loving the way her body shuddered against him. "Seth..."

"Let me make things up to you," he murmured against her neck. The zipper pulled apart, and he pushed the right side away, his hand covering her breast, kneading it in his hand. Her head lulled back and his lips began trailing down her neck, down the valley between her breasts. Her hand slipped into his pajama pants, and he jolted against her when her hand wrapped around him.

"You think we should move this to the bed?" she asked, her words coming out breathy.

"Not with that in your hand," he murmured against her breast, his lips closing over the nipple. Her train of thought came to a stop, but her hand worked in a steady rhythm that left him panting against her. His hands gripped the waistband of her shorts and quickly pulled them down over her hips. Stepping away from her, she let go of her hold on him as he turned her around, giving her a slight push forward. She braced her hands on the counter.

He was inside her quickly. With a cry, her hands curled against the counter. He set a rough rhythm, eager to work out the tension and the aggravation that had been his night on _Raw_. His roughness, the painful way his fingers dug into her hips, made her want to tell him to slow it down, but every stroke left her a groaning mess. His arm wrapped around her chest, pulling her up so she could watch what he was doing in the mirror, his hand gripping her breast tightly.

It didn't take long for her to climax; it hit her out of nowhere. She saw her reflection in the mirror, her mouth agape, her eyes wide, her body shaking. The things Seth whispered in her ear had her feeling weak. It wasn't long before Seth followed after her, releasing his hold on her. Her body buckled, and she ended up resting on her forearms over the counter. Seth placed a few kisses on her back as he pulled away from her, fixing his pajama pants. She was panting, running a hand through her hair. Seth helped her stand straight as she fixed her shorts.

"That was quite a performance," she told him.

"Forgive me?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

"I don't know..." she said teasingly. She let out a squeal as Seth picked her up over his shoulder. "Seth!"

"I guess I'm just going to have to try harder," he told her, as he took her out of the room, making a beeline for the bed. Jory had her suspicions that there wasn't going to be a whole lot of sleeping involved.


	3. Brothers

**Chapter 2:**

 **Brothers**

* * *

The only thing visible in the darkness was the three men standing around the burning steel bin.

Eric stood in the middle, with Killian to the left and Alexander to the right. The trio was dressed in their leather vests, hoods up, with their face-covers on. Alexander wore a plain black shirt, while the other two chose to go shirtless. They were silent for a few moments, watching the fire burn while the WWE production crew added smash cuts of cars burning and windows breaking. With a dramatic sweep of his hands, Eric pulled his face-cover down to reveal the bottom half of his face. His eyes were wide and wild, an almost comical sight. A twisted, sadistic grin contorted his mouth.

"Can you smell it?" Eric asked nobody in particular. "Can. You. Smell. It? That's the smell of chaos." More images of things on fire interspersed his words. "The smell of chaos. Sanity _thrives_ on chaos. There's no use in fighting it – the chaos _always_ wins.

"Choices are coming. Choices are coming for everyone, and we..." Eric trailed off, using both hands to motion to his cohorts, who stood menacingly in the background. "We are gonna take. We. Will. Take. We will take everything you have, and we will burn it to the ground without a reason. Because the chaos _always_ wins."

The vignette came to an abrupt end with blackness. Backstage, at the interview area only a few feet from Gorilla, Seth stood between Renee and Jory, the three of them standing bemused with their arms crossed over their chests. Seth was dressed in his black and grey ring gear with a Kingslayer shirt, his hair already wet and hanging in limp waves around his face. Jory stood to the left, dressed in her black and teal ring gear, zipped up to just underneath her sternum to reveal the teal rhinestone bra she wore underneath. Her hair was in elaborately braided pigtails, woven with black and teal ribbon, her wrists already taped. Renee stood to the right, dressed in a black romper with a blue denim jacket with floral patches.

Jory shook her head in disgust. "What kind of repetitive bullshit was that?" she asked. Later on in the evening, she was set to team up with Sasha Banks and Bayley to take on the team of Emma, Alexa Bliss, and Nia Jax. She shook her head. Seth remained silent, his lips pursed. Jory knew that he was still stewing with anger about the beating he'd received the week before from the trio. She knew that he was trying to find a way to harness that anger into getting the upper hand, but they both knew that what he really needed now was backup. The trio had decided to try their hand at making a name for themselves at Seth's expense. As talented as Seth was, she knew that he was only one person, and the numbers game would win every single time. Seth could outsmart them this week, but the next week they'd come back angrier and hungrier, and the beating would get more vicious, the attacks frequent until they put Seth back on the shelf.

She looked over at Seth, feeling the tension radiating from him. His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed. With a shake of his head, he turned and walked away, leaving Jory and Renee standing at the interview area. When Seth was out of earshot, Renee looked at Jory.

"Is everything all right?" she asked. Jory sighed.

"Everything will be fine. He's just really upset about what happened last week. He's even more upset that Roman didn't come out to give him a hand," she confided. "He feels like Roman left him out to dry."

"I'm sure there was a logical reason why Roman didn't make it out," Renee told her. "I don't think he chose to leave Seth alone to take a three-on-one assault intentionally."

"I know Roman's a busy guy, but you know how Seth can get inside his own head about things," Jory told her. Renee nodded. "I'm sure someone will come and help him, and the odds will tip in his favor, it's just...they got the drop on him, and he's pissed. You know how it is."

"Do I ever." Renee pulled out her phone to send out a tweet.

"What time is it?"

"Five to six."

"I gotta go. My match is gonna start in the next five minutes." Renee looked up at her and nodded.

"Good luck out there."

"Thanks. I might need it with those girls." Jory looked down at the scar that ran along her right arm, an unwanted gift left to her in January from Alexa Bliss, the woman she was convinced she'd be tethered to for the rest of her career. Jory looked up at Renee and flashed her a smile. "Catch you after."

"Knock 'em dead out there."

"It's what I do best."

* * *

Techno music blared through the arena speakers. WWE Raw Women's Champion Alexa Bliss strutted through the curtain, onto the stage, dressed in her black and lime green ring gear. Her bleached blonde and pink trimmed hair was styled in low pigtails, tied with thick black ribbons. She came to a stop at the top of the ramp, bringing her gloved hands up and curling the fingers before she strutted down to the ring, her hands on the top of her title. Along the way, she trash-talked with fans, mocking them with animated facial expressions and dismissing them with a wave of her hand. She got into the ring and took her belt off, holding it up and then placing it over her shoulder as her music died on the speakers.

 _"It's all about me!"_

More dance music played, and Emma walked out, dressed in her red, white, and gold ring gear, with her aviator glasses covering her eyes and black lipstick on her mouth. She came to a stop at the top of the ramp and turned, striking her signature pose before she made her way towards the ring. Emma got into the ring and took her place next to Alexa, who didn't utter a word to her partner. Her music came to a stop and the rock music of Nia Jax started. The crowd booed.

 _"I'm not like most girls, who only take just what they're given, like a plastic little princess..."_

Nia stood at the top of the ramp, allowing the TV cameras to get an extreme close-up of her brown eyes. She was dressed in her red and black, her dark brown hair fanned away from her face in a feathered-out style. A behemoth in the _Raw_ women's division, Nia was looking at creating her own path to the Women's Championship, currently in the possession of her friend and _Total Divas_ co-star Alexa. With a smirk quirking the left corner of her mouth, Nia made her way down the ramp. It was her hope that by crushing the team of Bayley, Sasha, and Jory, that management would see she was finally ready for a shot at the Women's Championship. She got into the ring and took her place between Alexa and Emma. Standing at six feet tall, Nia stood head and shoulders above her teammate.

Bayley was the first to come out, in her red and gold gear. She took her step back and raised both hands in the air, signaling the rise of her Bayley Buddies tube men. She walked down the ramp with a skip in her step and a smile on her face, her side ponytail swaying from side to side as she moved. Bayley came to a stop at the bottom of the ramp as her music faded into Sasha's. Turning her head, Bayley saw her good friend walk through the curtain, dressed in her galaxy ring gear, her purple hair styled straight around her face. Throwing her gold shutter shades to the left, Sasha strolled down to the ring, offering waves to the crowd. She came to a stop beside Bayley, nodding her head at the women in front of her.

 _"_ _Tell me, do you have a pulse? Do you have a pulse? Do you have a p-p-p-pulse? Tell me, do you even know?"_

Jory emerged through the curtains to the roar of the crowd, her eyes fixed on Alexa. She didn't know Emma well, and she liked to think of herself as a casual acquaintance of Nia, but Alexa was her nemesis, the bane of her existence, the polar opposite of everything she stood for. Jory made her way to the bottom of the ramp, taking her place between Sasha and Bayley, who hugged Jory. The three of them staring at each other, the three of them slid into the ring quickly and ran at the three women. Bayley took Nia, hitting her with punch after punch. Sasha was on Emma, fighting her back into the corner. Jory and Alexa ran at each other, Jory taking her down with a Lou Thesz Press, hitting her repeatedly until the referee intervened, trying to get control of the situation. Bayley and Emma started the match, while Sasha and Jory took their place on the apron, holding onto the ring ropes.

It wasn't long before the referee lost control of the match again. Nia put Sasha through the barricade, taking both of them out of commission. Alexa and Jory brawled into the crowd, forcing referees to run in and separate the two of them. In the ring, Bayley hit Emma with the Bayley to Belly, pinning the Australian Superstar for the three count. The bell rang, and Bayley was left all alone in the ring to celebrate. Jory was ushered backstage through the crowd, while Sasha and Nia both were left stirring by the commentary table.

* * *

"Hey. Great job out there."

Jory turned her head in time to see Baron fall into step beside her, drinking a cup of coffee. He was dressed in his beanie, with dark blue jeans and a white T-shirt underneath a black vest. She looked over at him and laughed. "Why am I not surprised to see you here?" she asked. "You're here every week now, it seems like. Why haven't they just brought you to _Raw_ yet? This double-time must be great for your Air Miles."

Baron laughed. "They are working on bringing me over here, but – as I'm sure you're aware – Shane likes to play hardball when Stephanie's involved with things." She nodded. The two of them fell quiet for a moment. He sipped his coffee, his eyes shifting to the long scar that ran from her right wrist to her elbow. Even with vitamin E treatments and home remedies, it was still a visible scar. "How's your head?" he asked. "I saw that kick Alexa gave you while you were down. Did you want to stop by the trainer's room and get it looked at?"

"I'm fine. Alexa couldn't knock me out of commission if she tried. And trust me, she has," Jory told him with a snort, holding up her arm. "This was only a couple weeks out. That's the best she's been able to do so far."

"I was just looking at that. It still looks pretty rough."

"Yeah. I think it gives me character," she said with a laugh. "So, what's your game plan for tonight?"

"Not a whole lot. Meeting with Stephanie and Kurt, and then after the show tonight I'm off with Graves for a drink or two. I was hoping to check out some of the local haunts around here, but I don't think I've got the time," he lamented.

"Right. I remember seeing on _Breaking Ground_ you like to do the haunted house thing. So...you believe in ghosts?"

"Sure. You?"

"I've never had any paranormal experiences, so I don't really fall one way or the other," she told him.

"Maybe one of these days you should come with. It can get pretty freaky."

"I might just have to," she told him. "You drag Graves to those places? He doesn't seem like he believes in ghosts."

"No. I usually like to go with Breezy or Dillinger, but they're over on _SmackDown_. I guess if I'm coming over here I should probably think about finding some new buddies to go with. I'm sure if I drag him I can get Graves to go."

"What's the coolest haunted place you've been?"

"I went to the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo the last time we did a European tour. That was wild. There are _tons_ of mummies set up along the walls. It's a bit morbid, but they're all kind of in various forms of decomposition and they're all positioned and stuff. It's super creepy. You can hear whispers and wails, and you can never tell where they're coming from. Breeze insists that some of the skeletons move around. I didn't see anything like that, but he swears on it."

"That's insane."

"One place I'd love to see is Poveglia in Venice," he told her. She found his enthusiasm contagious; she couldn't help but smile at the way his eyes lit up while he spoke. "It's supposed to be the creepiest place in Europe, but it's closed to tourists. The story is that a witch cursed the island. During the Black Death, it was used as a mass burial ground. Apparently, something like 160,000 people died on that island. They say the island is haunted by the people who died there, but again, it's closed to the public."

"That is insane."

"What are you up to tonight?" he asked, sipping his coffee. They turned the corner, headed towards the locker rooms. "What do you do to keep yourself entertained on the road?"

"I don't do a whole lot. I'm really, really boring."

"I don't believe that," he told her. "What do you like to do for fun?"

"I like to check around comic book shops. I'm always looking for stuff to add to my collection."

"Your _Resident Evil_ collection?" he asked. She nodded. "I saw it on Woods' show. I haven't played those in forever. Did you play six? Everyone seemed to hate that one."

"It was all right. For the most part, I like to stick to the original trilogy."

"Next time we have a game night, we should invite you and do a play-through of the remake," he told her.

"I'm always down for that," she said with a laugh. The two of them came to a stop in front of The Authority locker room. Baron noticed the change in Jory's body language, how the logo seemed to make Jory stiffen. He flashed her a reassuring smile.

"You have a good night. If your head bothers you at all tonight, go get it checked out, okay?"

"I will," she promised him. They separated, Jory continuing down the hallway, while Baron went into the office. Jory was happy when she turned the corner and got away from the door to Stephanie's office. Even after all this time, just the sight of the logo was enough to make her feel disgusted.

* * *

Gasping for breath, Roman put his hands down on the canvas and struggled to push himself back up into a standing position. His match with Braun Strowman, the main event of Monday Night _Raw_ , was proving to be the kind of knock-down brawl that Roman loved. He lived for fights like this, where he could leave it all on the line for everyone in the stands, where he could push himself out of his comfort zone. For the past few weeks, Braun had been looking to do whatever he could to build his name at Roman's expense.

There was a roar, followed by boos, and Roman was knocked down to the canvas face-first.

Sanity had invaded the ring, Eric turning his attention on Roman, stomping at the back of the man's head. Alexander and Killian threw Braun out of the ring before they turned their attention back to Roman. The referee had no choice but to call for the bell, to throw the match out on the grounds of disqualification. The men stomped at Roman, who struggled to crawl away but couldn't shake off the men. Eric stood back, arms raised, telling Alexander and Killian without a word to set Roman up for the Devastation.

The crowd roared. A flash of black crossed Eric's vision and then it was on Alex, swinging blindly. It took him a second to realize it was Seth Rollins, coming to help Roman, his fellow Shield brother, in what he was hoping to be the feel-good moment of the year. Eric rushed in, but Seth reared back with an elbow, catching Eric in the nose. Eric staggered back as Seth ejected Alexander from the ring before turning his attention on Eric.

Killian stomped over to stop Seth from attacking the leader, only to be shoulder checked by Roman out of the ring. Roman fell to a knee, gasping, struggling to catch his breath. Realizing that Seth was battling with Eric, Roman did a running tackle, knocking Eric through the middle rope, into Alexander. The men landed at a heap. Seth quickly helped Roman to a standing position, jumping up and down with excitement. He hit Roman on the chest before turning to the ramp and motioning for the trio to come back.

"Yeah! That's what the fuck I'm talking about!" Seth shouted. Sanity began to make their way up the ramp. Seth felt a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach when he saw Eric smiling at them. With wide, maniacal eyes, Eric only spoke two words before the trio turned and made their way up the ramp.

"Game on."

* * *

"Did you see that? We fucking got them!"

Seth couldn't keep the grin off his face as the two men walked through the curtain, into Gorilla. He slapped hands with Roman as they walked through, past the curtains and down the steps that would take them into the backstage area. "It's not over, but it's a good start," Seth told him.

"Thanks for the help, man," Roman told him.

"It's what brothers do," Seth told him. Seth gave him a slight swat on the shoulder. "This calls for a celebration. Let's go tear it up tonight, just like we used to do."

"You know what? That actually sounds like a great idea," Roman told him with a smile. "I know a great place just up the road from here. And I haven't had a guys night out in a while."

"Cool. I'll go clean up and we'll meet at the parking lot. I'll let Jory know I'm headed out with you tonight."

"Sweet. See you in a bit." They bumped fists and separated. Seth found Jory sitting on a trunk, scrolling through her phone. She looked up as Seth approached.

"Hey. Good stuff out there," she told him. "I was just taking a look at some attractions around here. They apparently have a late night arcade out here. You wanna stop by and play a game or two before we head to the next town?"

"Oh...I'm actually headed out with Roman tonight. We're kinda feeling it after what just happened, so we thought we'd go out, like old times. We'll probably make the trip to the next town so you don't have to wait around. Are you gonna be okay to go on your own?"

"Oh. Um...yeah. I guess I can do that." She tried to hide her disappointment as best she could, but it didn't matter; Seth was riding so high that he didn't seem to notice.

"Great. You're the best," he told her, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll meet you at the hotel. Don't wait up." He pulled back and she flashed him a tight smile before he left. With a dejected sigh, Jory shut off her phone screen and put it down beside her on the trunk. She suddenly felt awkward.

"So much for that," she sighed, getting off the trunk. She didn't see a need to hang around now that the show was over and Seth wasn't coming with her. Her mood suddenly shot full of holes, the thought of heading to an arcade for fun before going to the next town was out the window. Instead, she pulled up her GPS and typed in the directions to the next city. Suddenly, her warmest pajamas and a comfortable bed seemed like the best idea.


	4. Isolation

**Chapter 3:**

 **Isolation**

* * *

Seth and Roman made it backstage, the two of them in a foul mood. On the orders of General Manager Kurt Angle, Seth and Roman were booked in a match against Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain. Eric had accompanied his team to ringside like Seth and Roman knew he would. And just like Seth knew, they had once again used the numbers game to their advantage to get what they wanted.

Seth was the first one to stomp down the steps to the backstage area, eyes narrowed and fists clenched. They had been so close to defeating Sanity. They had been so close that Seth could almost taste it, but Eric had gotten involved. Sure, they had won by disqualification, but that wasn't the point. It was hard to feel like a winner when Roman and Seth had been the ones left lying in a heap in the middle of the ring. It hadn't been their music playing through the speakers; it had been Sanity. The show had come to an end with Sanity proving themselves to be the hot new faction, making Seth and Roman look obsolete.

Roman followed behind Seth, hair hanging in his face, lips pursed into a thin line. Like Seth, he was angry. He didn't like to look stupid or weak, and it was exactly what Sanity had done. He fell into place beside Seth. People in the halls separated quickly, doing everything in their power to not be in their way when they were in such a foul mood. Seth thought the two of them would be enough for the three, but they had been wrong. Seth supposed he had been idealistic to think like that. It was a time like this where he realized just how much Dean's absence was felt. But he had been injured a few months before, his arm giving out on him. Roman had mentioned that Dean had tried to fight through the pain, but they all knew it was going to catch up to him eventually. And it had, in a match against Samoa Joe, of all people.

"Fuck," Seth cursed. He shook his head in disgust. He would have taken someone, anyone willing to step in and give them a hand. Seth unwrapped the tape from around his wrist, dropping it into a nearby garbage can. "Fuck."

"We'll get them. This is one battle. We'll win the war, bro. Don't even worry about it," Roman told him. He clapped a hand down on Seth's shoulder. Seth huffed, and Roman removed his hand and sighed. "By the time we are done with those guys, they're gonna regret the day they ever fucked with us."

"You're fucking right they are," Seth told him.

"Why don't you come out with me tonight? I was thinking I'd stop for a beer before hitting the sack." Seth shook his head.

"I appreciate the offer, man, but I think I'm gonna sit this one out tonight."

"I know it's hard, but don't let this fuck up your night, okay? There's always next week. Shit, there's always tomorrow night in Little Rock." Seth nodded, but Roman knew that Seth was going back to the hotel alone to do just that. He wished Jory was in Houston to try and talk Seth off the ledge, but she was in New York City with a handful of talents for an NBC Universal presentation. He noticed in the weeks since Sanity debuted that Jory's name was coming up less and less, but he knew it wasn't his place to ask Seth about what was happening between the two of them, if anything was happening at all. "Do me a favor, okay, man? Don't sit on this. If you have to when you get back to the hotel, give Jory a call. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to lend you an ear."

Seth didn't respond. Instead, he turned to Roman. "I'll catch you later, man."

"Goodnight, Seth," Roman told him. Roman watched Seth disappear from his view, and he made a face when Seth was gone. Running a hand through his hair, Roman turned and made his way down the hall towards the locker room. His first order of business was a hot shower, followed by clean clothing and two Advil tablets to take away the pounding in his head. He had meant every word he'd said to Seth; Roman was not about to lose to these three rookies. And if he had to, everyone could count on Roman going down swinging.

* * *

New York City was a long way from Houston, Texas, and as Jory sat alone at the bar in her hotel, nursing her whiskey sour, she could feel every mile between her and Seth. Absently swirling the glass, she studied the beautifully lacquered bar, made of orange wood with dark brown accents. It was an elegant bar, a far cry from the dive bars she liked to visit every now and then, but it was in the hotel and didn't require her to drive.

It had been a long day, filled with Q&A sessions and having to play nice with Stephanie McMahon. Things were still incredibly frosty between them; Jory didn't see that easing up any time soon. She knew Stephanie was still angry about being humiliated at _WrestleMania_ , at her father's creation, while Jory had no intention of ever forgiving Stephanie for the things the woman had put her through. Jory had spent most of the day answering a question here and there while the Bella Twins were front and center, promoting their two reality shows for the E! Network.

She had texted Seth when she had landed to let him know she made it, and to wish him good luck, but she hadn't heard back from him. It had been hours since she sent the text, so she knew he had seen it by now. She chalked it up to him being busy at the time, but now that the show was over, it was hard to brush aside the idea that he might be ignoring her. Since Sanity showed up, she'd noticed a change over him, and it wasn't a change she was liking. They had gone from talking every day to talking every couple of days. They hardly saw each other off the road; Seth always had reasons why they couldn't meet up, from family time to his school. Staring down at her drink, she tried to fight back the little voice in her head that told her their relationship was purely based on their battles with Hunter and Stephanie. Now that the smoke had cleared, Jory was beginning to feel like there wasn't much there to keep them tethered together.

"Hey. Is this seat taken?"

Jory turned her head to find Baron sitting beside her, dressed in a black button-down shirt rolled up to the elbows, black slacks, and a red vest that was buttoned up. The top three buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a glimpse of the tattoo that covered his chest. She flashed him a tight smile. "Nope. It's all yours."

"What are you drinking?" he asked, leaning over to stare at her glass.

"Whisky sour."

"Ah, you do that fancy shit," he teased. He ordered a whiskey, no ice. He looked over at her, took in the black body-con dress she wore with the sweetheart neckline that showed off just enough, with a black blazer with a white collar and white trim. Her hair was tied back in a layered ponytail, the ponytail braided. Her makeup was muted and neutral. It was a strange sight to see her doing the professional look, but he had to admit she looked beautiful.

He could tell by her expression before he'd joined her that she was deep in thought. Baron had been behind-the-scenes at the presentation; he was there as Stephanie's guest, learning what it was like to run things. More and more she was talking about giving him more things to do company-wise, and he was eager to learn. Having Jory on the trip was an added bonus since he didn't talk to the others.

"You good?" she asked. He smiled.

"I'm great. How about you?"

"Yep. Just...having a drink. It's been a long day." She took a sip.

"You seem distracted tonight."

"I'm just tired. Between the chaos at the airport this morning and then the presentation...I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep," she told him. He couldn't argue with that. In the morning Jory had to fly out to Little Rock, Arkansas, for a house show, while Baron and the rest of the _SmackDown_ people who had joined him on the trip were off to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for _SmackDown Live_. It was Baron's hope that Stephanie would be able to strike a deal with her brother soon, and he could head over to the red brand and advance his career, instead of spinning his wheels under her brother.

"How's your man doing tonight? I caught the end of _Raw_." Jory didn't answer. He nodded. "I get it."

"Baron..."

"I'm not saying anything. I'll just say I'm tired of seeing you bummed out all the time."

"I'm not..." She trailed off. There was no use in lying, but she sure wasn't about to lay all of her problems at his feet. The only thing she would accomplish would be making things worse, and she wasn't about to do that. Baron took a sip of his drink, and Jory was surprised he wasn't wincing at the taste.

"You don't have to lie to me, but do what you gotta do," he told her. "I know it's hard to believe with everything that's been going on, but I'm not trying to make trouble for you. We're friends. I'm just asking. I saw things didn't end well, and I was wondering if you've heard from him. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I haven't. I imagine he's out with Roman." She took another sip of her drink. "Roman's better at fixing his moods than I am. Must be a Shield thing." She tacked a smile on her face and downed her drink. Baron bit back a laugh; she was definitely not happy with Seth, and the fact that she was trying to hide it was only making it more obvious in his eyes. "I'm gonna head back to my room. Have a good night. Don't get too drunk; you're twice my size and I can't carry you if they call me."

"I can drink like a champ. Don't worry about me," he told her with a laugh. She slid out of her seat and went to leave. He swiveled on his stool. "Jory?"

She turned to him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Baron."

He watched her until she left, sipping on his drink. When she was gone, he ordered another one.

* * *

 _Hey. Not sure if you got my text earlier. Just heard about what happened tonight. I hope you're okay. Give me a call if you need to talk. I'll be up for a while._ _Face-Time and ice cream?_

Seth's eyes scanned the message over and over. He'd been scrolling through his Twitter when Jory's message came through, and he remembered that she had sent a message earlier when he'd been going over strategy with Roman. There was an initial bolt of guilt that swept through him when he realized that he had blown her off, but now, staring at the new message that she had sent, he realized that he wasn't in the mood to talk to _anybody_.

Roman had tried to text, but Seth hadn't replied either. Lying on the bed of his hotel room, Seth wondered how everything could be going so great, only to be turned upside down so quickly, in such a short amount of time. No relationship he had at the moment felt right, from his girlfriend to his "brother". He wasn't just off his game with Sanity; it had knocked him off his axis in every other facet, from training to working out, and it was hard not to feel like he was going to explode if something else went wrong.

Instead, Seth shut down his phone and dropped it on the mattress beside him. The only thing he wanted to do was sleep, to shut his eyes and wake up in a few hours with the feeling that a new day was upon him. He could always talk to Roman and Jory in the morning. Roman knew why he didn't want to talk; they'd lived through the beating together. He was sure Jory would understand, too; if she knew what happened, she'd know why he just wanted to be left alone.

Reaching over, he shut off the lamp and slid underneath the blankets. In a few hours, he'd have the workout of his life, followed by a great breakfast and a good cup of coffee. His muscles would hurt in the right way, and the headache he was currently nursing would be long gone. Call it unfounded optimism, but Seth truly wanted to believe in the morning that everything would be better than it currently was.

* * *

Changed into her comfortable pair of pajamas, the makeup washed off her face, Jory stared at the phone on her bed. There was no reply, and with each minute that passed, she realized that Seth wasn't going to reply to her message. With a sigh, she looked at the pint of ice cream on the nightstand, and suddenly she had no desire to dig into it. This was _their_ thing now, something they had started when their nights had been bad or crazy during their battles with The Authority.

With a sigh, she got off the bed and took the pint back to the mini-fridge, pushing it back into the freezer. Sanity was in his head now, and she was aware that both of them knew it. She knew it was why Seth was so angry and irritable all the time now; Sanity had been doing a great job making him look stupid on a regular basis. Making him look weak. She understood why he was so angry, but it killed her that he seemed to be pushing her away in all of this.

She looked back at the bed and made a face. Maybe he was out with Roman. Since coming to Roman's rescue, the two of them were back to being attached at the hip. Part of her hoped that he would send her a text when he got back, at the very least to let her know that he was all right. But the other part of her, the more realistic part, told her that he probably wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone after what happened. It was hard for her not to be upset at the thought of him just openly ignoring her.

Turning off the lights, she climbed into bed and hoped that sleep would take her quickly. She had to be at the airport in a few hours, and then she was off to Little Rock, where she would get to touch base with Seth. But, true to form, she lay awake. It wasn't that sleep was taking forever to come for her; the problem was it wasn't coming at all.


	5. Tension

**Chapter Four:**

 **Tension**

* * *

"What the hell...?"

Standing in the interview area getting questioned by Renee, Jory's train of thought derailed as she saw the group of WWE medical staffers run by, all of them in black. Shooting a look at Renee, the two of them gave up on the interview and joined the group, following them to see where they were going to end up. The two women stopped in front of the men's locker room, not wanting to run in and catch any of their colleagues in states of undress. The two of them exchanged looks with each other. Crossing her arms over her chest, Jory felt her stomach sink into her pelvis. She began to pace, her long, high ponytail swinging with every step she took. She was in her ring gear, in shades of black, blue and violet. Beside her, Renee was a vision in silver glitter and black, her short blonde hair in beach waves. She studied Jory, noting the tension in her jaw, how she was halfheartedly trying to crane her neck to see inside.

"It could be anyone," Renee told her.

Before Jory could reply, Seth emerged, red-hot and laser-focused. Renee put up her hands and got out of the way, knowing better than to attempt putting a microphone in front of Seth at the moment. Jory looked down the hall, then back where Seth was going and sighed, rushing after him.

"Seth! Seth! Seth, stop! _Seth_!"

She came to a stop in front of him. He was still moving, and she was moving backward quickly. She felt a bolt of fear at the anger in his eyes. After a moment, he stopped, running a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his face. He looked down at her, his face still contorted in an angry scowl. "I stopped. _What_?"

"Tell me what happened."

"They got Roman."

"What? Is he okay?"

"Fine. What the fuck do you think?" he snapped. "He's on his way to the hospital. And I know it was them. Their name is on every fucking weapon they used, and I am going to go and repay them in kind, so get out of my way."

"Seth, stop..." She put her hands gently on his chest in hopes of calming him down.

"Don't fucking touch me!" he shouted, shoving her hands off him. She stumbled back a few steps; he made no effort to catch her.

Jory felt her entire body heat up. There were eyes on them now. Even Seth seemed to freeze. "Jory..."

"Fine, Seth. Do something stupid. See how far it gets you." She moved past him, walking back towards Renee, throwing her arms up in anger and exasperation. Seth turned to her, his face incredulous.

"Jory..."

She didn't look back, didn't acknowledge him. She stormed past Renee, who looked uncomfortable in front of the men's locker room. He knew she was going to find a space for herself, where she could try and calm down. There were still eyes on him. His nerves vibrating with anger, he turned and kicked a trunk.

 _"_ _Fuck_!" Turning, he looked at everyone staring back at him. "What the fuck are you looking at?"

* * *

"Hey. Mind if I have a seat? You look like you could use a friend right about now."

Jory looked up from the floor to find Finn Balor standing in front of her, dressed in his red ring gear with a black and white Balor Club T-shirt. He greeted her with a smile, the kind reserved for a friend. Jory didn't know Finn all that well, but it wasn't a secret to anyone that Finn was one of Seth's biggest frenemies on the roster. With a similar move set and similar ambitions, the two men seemed to butt heads more than they got along.

With a sigh, she shifted so Finn could sit down on the black and silver trunk beside her. He crossed his ankles and looked over at her, studying every detail of her face. "How are you doing? I saw Renee earlier and she mentioned that something happened between you and Seth earlier..."

"I don't want to talk about it," she told him, looking down at her feet. She took in every detail of her black and silver boots. With another sigh, she shook her head. "God, I'm so embarrassed..."

"Don't take it personally, okay? He's just upset. I know things have been rough lately."

It was on the tip of Jory's tongue to tell Finn that Seth was always upset these days, but instead, she nodded in agreement and kept her mouth shut. The arrival of Sanity on _Raw_ had thrown everything into a state of perpetual chaos. Jory knew that was what the group wanted to do, and she had to admit that it was mission accomplished on all fronts. She'd come to hate the group as much as Seth; she despised them for turning everything upside down when it finally felt like she'd found some even footing personally and professionally.

The two of them fell silent when Baron approached, dressed in a black button-down shirt rolled up to the sleeves and black slacks, with a vest that was purple in the front and gold in the back. Finn's eyes narrowed at the sight of him. "What are you doing here?" Finn asked, working overtime to keep the defensive tone out of his voice.

"It's official – I have been moved to _Raw_ permanently, as of tonight," Baron announced. Finn shot a surprised look at Jory, who nodded.

"He's been here assisting Stephanie and Kurt with things," Jory explained. She looked at Baron. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." He looked at Finn. "She's telling the truth. It's why I'm here. As you know, Roman and Seth were supposed to team together tonight, and now we need to find a new partner for Seth since Roman's on his way to the hospital." He looked over at Jory, taking in the sadness on her face, and he offered her a reassuring smile before he returned his attention to Finn. "Would you be interested in stepping in as his partner?"

Finn blinked. "Yeah. I mean, I'm already in my gear. Makes sense." Baron's smile was wide.

"Great. Kurt was right about you, Finn – you're a dependable hand." Baron looked between the two of them. Jory was in her own world. There was a look on Finn's face that Baron thought was disgust, but he wasn't entirely sure. "With that order of business out of the way, Finn, do you mind if I have a word with Jory in private?"

"I..."

"It's fine," Jory assured him quickly. "Find Seth, and see if you can get him focused." _Because I sure in the hell can't,_ she thought to herself bitterly. Finn studied her and nodded without a word of argument. With a tight, quick smile, Finn got off the trunk and left her alone with Baron.

"What's your job title now?" she asked. "GM's Assistant?"

"Constable." Baron sat down beside her where Finn had just been sitting. Jory nodded. They were quiet for a few moments. Jory's eyes were back on her boots, taking in the silver buckles. Baron sighed. "Everyone's talking, Jory."

"Yeah. I gathered."

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened. He's just upset."

"Jory..."

"Baron, I promise, I'm not making excuses or covering for him, okay?" She sighed. "Fucking hell. I know how _that_ sounds, too." She looked down at his hands and shook her head. "This Sanity situation is just starting to eat him alive."

"It's eating you, too."

"Not like him."

"I can see that, but he still shouldn't be taking any of this out on you, Jory, and you know that."

"Everything will be fine," she assured him. "Things will work out, or they won't."

"With Sanity, or with the two of you?" She sighed, and the sadness in her eyes made Baron want to hug her. "Do you really believe that?"

"I don't know what I believe," she told him. "I just know that tonight is the first night in a long time where I just want to dig a hole in the parking lot and hide." There was always a mole inside the company; the scene with Seth was definitely going to be making its way onto the dirt sheets in the morning, and the thought of it made Jory sick to her stomach. "He didn't hurt me, Baron. It was my fault for trying to talk sense into him when he was obviously so angry. I pushed it, and I shouldn't have."

"None of this is your fault," Baron replied angrily. "He needs to learn how to curb his temper. I know that for a fact. Stephanie told me this kind of behavior has been a problem with him for a few years now."

It was on the tip of Jory's tongue to tell Baron not to take a lot of stock in Stephanie's words when it came to her and Seth. Instead, she kept quiet. Baron put a hand over hers and squeezed. "If you need anything, Jory, my door is always open, okay? Fuck business, forget all the shit you've got with Stephanie...just...come to me if you need anything, okay?"

"Thank you."

"The fact is that everyone is talking tonight, and I had to see you and make sure you're okay. I know this has put a damper on your night, and I'm really sorry this happened..."

"It's fine. I'm fine, Baron. I swear."

"Okay." He slid off the trunk. "I have to go and talk with Stephanie. I'll see you later. If you want later, Corey and I are meeting for drinks at the Hilton bar after the show. You're more than welcome to join us tonight if you need to get away from it all. We won't even talk about work. I promise."

She laughed. "I'll keep that in mind," she promised. He went to leave, but stopped and turned.

"I also wanted to tell you, before I forget – Stephanie and Kurt agreed to put you in a match against Alicia Fox next week." Jory nodded. "Try and have a good night, Jory."

"You, too."

"Invitation's open if you need it." She nodded, and he left her, turning back to stare at her before he disappeared down the hall. With a sigh, Jory let her head lean back against the wall. All she wanted to do was leave.

* * *

Seth was angry.

He didn't have to state it explicitly, but Jory could tell by how tightly he clutched the steering wheel, and how little he spoke on the way back to the hotel at the end of the night. Finn had tried everything he could, but Seth was so angry and off his game, and at the end of it all, both men had fallen to Sanity in the main event. Coupled with people's perception of his interaction with Jory in the hallway earlier in the night, Seth could say without exaggeration that it was the worst night of his career so far. Since his run-in with his girlfriend in the hallway, people seemed to be looking at him differently. He noticed a few pointed looks as they were loading their bags into the car.

If Jory was shaken or upset by what happened between them earlier in the night, she wasn't saying anything. Seth had the feeling she was walking on eggshells, but he was too upset to tell her to relax. Instead, they didn't look or speak to each other all the way to the hotel. Jory sat in the passenger's seat, staring out the window, ignoring everything around her. Seth wanted to say something, anything. It crossed his mind to apologize for being out of hand earlier in the night, but he was still so deep in his bad mood that it wasn't going to happen.

He couldn't understand why Sanity had become such a formidable challenge. He'd always had Nikki pegged as the one to watch in the stable. With the trio on the roster, it occurred to Seth that he had written off the others. Confronted with them every week on _Raw_ , Seth realized that he had committed a grievous error.

Roman was at the hospital. He'd sent a text to Roman before he'd gone out for his match with Finn, but he hadn't heard back from Roman yet. He didn't like that. His brother had been hospitalized; _they_ had sent him to the hospital. The Universal Champion. Roman was considered the top of his game, yet they had taken him out. Seth wondered why he thought he had a chance at taking them down when Roman couldn't even do it.

They made it back to the hotel, Jory walking three to five paces behind Seth all the way to the elevator. His phone went off, but he didn't check it. Jory knew how ridiculous it sounded, but the silence seemed so loud in the elevator. The attack, their scene, and his defeat had created a gigantic, chaotic elephant in their room, and nobody wanted to be the one to say a word about it. She followed behind Seth to their room, Seth unlocking and opening the door. He held it open for her. She leaned her suitcase against the desk before she slid off her shoes. Seth's eyes scanned his phone and he let out a growl that put Jory on edge.

"Seth...?" she asked, her voice full of trepidation.

"I've got a match with Eric for my title at _SummerSlam_ ," he stated angrily, throwing his phone on the bed.

"Isn't that a good thing?" she asked. Seth sighed, and Jory was hit with the feeling that she had said something stupid. He wheeled on her, and she backed up a step. She wasn't feeling afraid of Seth, but she was definitely not liking the idea that they could end up in a bad argument. She didn't like the idea that they could be going to bed angry at each other. But she felt like the stares he was getting from his colleagues was her fault.

"It would have been _fantastic_ if I didn't find out on Twitter," he said with a grumble. He sat down heavily on the bed. Jory stood, frozen in place, arms crossed over her chest. He looked up at her. He shook his head in disgust. "Nothing from Roman. Just ' _you've got Eric'._ And I'm probably going to lose. Because apparently, these ass-holes can play the numbers game better than I ever could."

"I doubt that..." she jumped in, but one look from Seth had her clamping her mouth shut.

"Don't. Just...don't." He shook his head. "I'm going for a shower, and then I'm going to bed. Fuck this night."

Jory watched, arms still crossed, as he stomped into the bathroom. He shut the door hard, not quite slamming it, but the sound still loud enough to startle Jory. She stood frozen in place for a minute or two, a little surprised to find her hands shaking when she uncrossed her arms. She looked at the door, and the thought of Baron's invitation echoed in her head.

She knew she had two options: stay and spend the night walking on eggshells around Seth until he fell asleep, or go out and try to shake the night off with friends. While she wanted to stay with Seth and help him, she realized that he was beyond help at this point. He needed to sleep the night off, and she hoped that Roman would be discharged from the hospital, they would talk, and his mood would stabilize. She knew that while she wanted to solve every problem they had, it took talent to know when something was beyond help. Jory vowed she would try in the morning. She went over to the notepad on the desk and wrote a note to Seth.

 _Seth,_

 _I'm sorry tonight was so terrible. I think right now it's best if I'm not around, so you can get your thoughts in order. I got invited out with some friends tonight. If you're not up when I get back, maybe we'll talk in the morning._

Jory scrawled her name at the bottom of the message and left it on the pillow, where she was sure he'd see it. She hated the energy in the room, and she honestly didn't want to be in the room when he came out. Jory grabbed her purse and her key-card, slid her shoes back on, and left, quietly closing the door behind her.

* * *

Jory looked in the mirror in the bathroom just off the lobby of the Hilton hotel, wiping away the tears in her eyes with her fingers, trying to fix the mascara and eyeliner that smudged. The bar was ten feet away, and she wasn't sure she made the right decision. At the hotel, moments away from having a few drinks to erase the terrible night she'd had, there was a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that she should be back at the hotel with Seth, trying to talk his mood down. Even though her attempts hadn't worked at all, she still felt like she should have been back with him, trying to fix things.

The entire drive to the hotel in the cab, Jory stared out the window and thought about Seth. She wondered if he'd gotten out of the shower, saw her note, and got even angrier. Every few minutes she checked her cell phone for a message from him, but her phone was radio silent.

She wasn't sure what to do at this point. It wasn't looking like this conflict with Sanity was going to blow off any time soon, and the idea of having to ride Seth's moody roller-coaster was quickly losing its appeal. Jory wanted to be supportive, wanted to help how she could, but it was hard for her to not feel like he didn't want her around. She cared about him; she wanted things to work. The fact that he hadn't broken up with her meant that he felt the same way...right? She wasn't even sure anymore.

The reflection staring back at her in the mirror looked like she'd been through some things. Dressed in a black flowing top with a sweetheart neckline and a black and white gemstone broach in the center with vinyl leggings and a dark brown leather jacket, she looked ready for a night out. But her eyes betrayed everything. It was always obvious when Jory cried; her eyes became red and swollen. No amount of cold water or fresh air would make it disappear quickly.

She checked her phone again. Nothing. The WWE Twitter account released an update that Roman had been released from the hospital, and Jory wondered if Seth had gone to pick him up, or if he had even been in contact with Roman. She thought about calling Seth to check in, but he was angry, and she was tired of his anger being directed at her. For one night, she'd had enough of that.

Jory left the bathroom and walked towards the open door that led to the bar. She immediately found Corey and Baron sitting at a back table, the two of them still dressed in the outfits they wore on _Raw,_ Baron in his vest and Corey in a black and red suit. Baron spotted her immediately, smiling wide as he waved her over. She approached slowly, feeling so out of place. When she was close to the table, Baron stood and rounded the surface to meet her.

"Hey," he greeted, wrapping her in a tight hug. She held onto him tightly; after the night she'd had, a hug was the one thing she needed, the one thing she craved. Baron was surprised by her embrace, but he didn't say a word. "I'm glad you made it. I wasn't sure you were going to."

"It seemed like a good idea after tonight," she confessed. He pulled away from her. "The offer is still open to not talk work, right?"

"Absolutely," he assured her, pulling back from their embrace. They sat down, Jory beside Baron. "What's your poison? Whiskey sour?" he asked. She nodded, and he ordered her a drink, and another round of drinks for him and Corey.

"How's your night going?" Corey asked. Baron shot him a look and Corey became sheepish. "Right. Sorry."

"It's fine," she assured him.

"Woods was talking about doing a _Mortal Kombat_ gauntlet at _SummerSlam_. I was talking to him earlier, and he told me you were interested. He told me to get you to tweet him if you were in for the tourney."

"I did tell him that I was up for it if it was classic. Did he say which one?"

"I think two."

"Oh, that's the best one. I'm down for sure if he's going with that one."

"I'm going to do the tournament, too. It's not my usual thing, but Woods wasn't taking no for an answer."

"I'm sorry, then."

"Sorry for what?" he asked as the waitress put the drinks down in front of them. She went for her wallet, but Baron told her not to worry about it. He paid for the drinks and she left.

"I'm going to wipe the floor with you." Corey laughed. Baron cocked an eyebrow.

"You're probably right," he said after a moment with a laugh. She took a sip of her drink.

"You live in Chicago, right?" Baron asked. She nodded. "How do you like it out there?"

"It's home. It sounds awful because I did like Orlando, but I was so happy to go home and be close to my dad. He's not getting any younger," she said wistfully. Baron nodded.

"How's he liking the home?" Baron asked. She smiled.

"He _loves_ it." She shook her head. "It took me a while, but I managed to get him a home, and it's not far from my place, so we see each other a lot more when I'm not on the road."

"That's great. Is he gonna come to _Raw_ next time we're in Chicago?" he asked. She smiled.

"I'm hoping so. The last couple of times, things haven't worked out, but I would love it. It's been a while since my dad's been to see me wrestle." She sipped her drink.

"Next time he's out, I'd love to meet him."

"I'll have to set that up," she told him with a smile. Baron ordered another round of drinks as the conversation veered into music. Though she smiled in front of them and kept up the pleasant conversation, the entire time her thoughts were with Seth, and even with Roman. Her phone remained silent.

* * *

It was well after two in the morning when Jory almost stumbled out of the elevator, a sway in her step and a stupid smile on her face. She was pleasantly buzzed, the stress and tension of the night successfully drowned in three whiskey sours and a glass of bourbon that had set her body on fire. It was two attempts with the key-card to get into the room, and she was very careful to close the door quietly behind her. The room was so dark that Jory could barely see, so she used her hands to find the desk. She slid her shoes off beside her suitcase.

Underneath the covers, she saw Seth, a black lump in the darkness, his body moving up and down with every even breath. She moved carefully towards the bed, slipping her clothing off. From the desk to the bed, she left a trail of clothing behind her, until she was completely naked, slipping underneath the blanket.

She moved close to Seth, her arm moving under the blanket to drape over his waist, cuddling into him, her cheek against the warm skin of his back. There was a small part of her that thought he was going to shove her away, but she smiled against his skin when she felt his arm cover hers. She placed a soft kiss between his shoulder blades.

"How was your time out?" Seth asked. He sounded out of it, like he was still half-asleep.

"It was fine." They were quiet for a long time. He sighed.

"I'm glad you're back."

"Me, too." She curled against him even more and shut her eyes. In the moments before she fell into her dreamless abyss, it occurred to her that these moments on the road, when they were about to call it a night, seemed to be the only time where they seemed to find any kind of peace together.


	6. New Strategies Needed

**Chapter 5:**

 **New Strategies Needed**

* * *

The restaurant attached to the Sacramento Hilton hotel was surprisingly busy for early on a Monday morning, something Baron Corbin wasn't all that excited to see. He would be the first to admit that he wasn't a morning person, and the pleasant conversation and energetic buzz that hit him from every direction made him want to turn and leave, get back in his car, go back to his hotel room and sneak in an extra hour of sleep. He was dressed casually, in tight black jeans and a white T-shirt underneath a black vest that was full of different patches, with a black beanie on his head. His eyes scanned the restaurant; he was supposed to be meeting Corey for breakfast, but there was no sign of him yet. _Lucky bastard is still probably sleeping_ , Baron thought bitterly. The irritation gave way when he spotted Jory with Seth at a back table. She was dressed in a long, baggy black sweater and black pants, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. It was still a few hours before everyone was due at the arena, so she wasn't in "glam mode", but she looked relaxed. Seth, on the other hand, looked tense, dressed in a Black & Brave T-shirt with blue jeans.

She wouldn't talk about it with him, but he knew that they were having problems in their relationship. Stephanie had mentioned that Seth was always a handful, temperamental and full of ego. In all of his dealings with Jory, he'd never seen anything like that from her, but he definitely saw it with Seth. It made him wonder just how she ended up with the guy, especially since they had managed to stay away from each other during their time in The Authority. Before Baron could catch himself, he was making his way through the tables, headed towards Seth and Jory's table.

"Good morning," Baron greeted. Jory turned to see him, her eyes lighting up at the sight of him.

"Hey!" Jory stood. "Good morning! What are you doing here?"

Seth dabbed at the corner of his mouth with the white napkin in his hand, turning his head in time to see Baron wrap an arm around Jory's shoulders and pull her into a hug. Seth's eyes narrowed at the sight, but Baron didn't do anything inappropriate. Releasing his hold on Jory, she sat down. "I'm here to have breakfast with Graves, but the guy is taking _forever_ ," Baron explained with a roll of his eyes.

"While you're waiting, why don't you join us?" Jory asked. Seth shot her a wide-eyed look.

"Oh, I couldn't..."

"Of course you could," Jory insisted before Seth could speak. "Sit."

"If you insist," he told her with a smile, sitting down in the chair between Seth and Jory. The waitress approached a few moments later and Baron ordered himself a cup of coffee to start.

"How are you this morning?" she asked.

"A bit nervous. I got a pretty interesting phone call this morning," Baron confessed.

"Yeah?"

"Stephanie and Kurt aren't going to be at _Raw_ tonight," Baron announced. Jory shot him a look. "I guess Lesnar wants to renegotiate his deal, and since he's holding the title, they're pretty much at his mercy, so they're on their way out to the middle of nowhere to give him what he wants."

"So you're running _Raw_ tonight?" Seth choked on his coffee. Baron chose to ignore him.

"Yeah. First night at the helm by myself. I'm a bit nervous."

"Congratulations. You've got this," Jory told him. Baron flashed her a smile in return as the waitress placed his coffee down in front of him. They ordered breakfast, and she left.

"Thanks. I'm going to need all the luck I can get."

"You got any ideas for the show tonight?" Baron nodded.

"A magician never reveals his secrets, though," he said with a wink. Seth resisted the urge to lean forward and stab Baron with his fork. It wasn't lost on him that Jory's smile was genuine, something that he hadn't seen in a while. _For this sniveling toad, of all people,_ Seth thought in disgust. "I think I have some good ideas. I just have to run a few things by Stephanie and Kurt before I confirm anything, though."

"I get it," she told him. She shifted, her arm shooting up. Baron turned to see Corey in the restaurant, already dressed in one of his suits, hair perfectly styled. Corey spotted them and made his way over. Seth continued to drink his coffee in silence. The last thing he wanted was his tongue to get the better of him.

* * *

"Explain to me again how you became friends with that dick?"

It was after breakfast, after Baron and Corey left. Seth and Jory were upstairs in their hotel room, getting their things together before heading to the arena. Jory studied Seth, taking in every detail of the man standing in front of her, and the thought hit her out of nowhere, a realization that left her surprised. _Oh my God, he's jealous. Seth is jealous of Baron_ , she thought to herself, unable to keep the incredulous expression off her face.

"I don't know. It just...it kind of happened, I guess," she told him, wrapping up her curling iron to put into her suitcase. "I can't really pinpoint an exact date or time when it happened if that's what you're looking for."

"Jory..."

"Seth, I don't know what you want me to tell you," she told him, sliding the iron into the front compartment. "I told you everything every step of the way. I can't give you anything more exact than you can." She shook her head. "I don't know what you want me to say here."

"You don't have to say anything," Seth told her, dropping a shirt into his suitcase. "Just...be careful, okay? I don't trust that guy as far as I can throw him."

"Seth..."

"Jory, can you just trust me on this?" he asked her bluntly. He rounded the bed to stand in front of her, his hands moving to her shoulders, thumbs rubbing on the knit fabric of her sweater. "I'm not telling you what to do here. Just...I don't trust him, and I don't want to see you end up in the middle of anything, okay? I have a bad feeling about this relationship he has with Stephanie. We both know what it's like to get involved with her. We both knew what kind of power goes with it, and how it can go to our heads. He's not going to be immune, just like we weren't." He sighed. "I don't trust him, Jory. I'm not telling you what to do, I'm just begging you to be careful, okay?"

She studied him. Wordlessly, she nodded. "Jory..."

"Okay. I'll be careful."

"Jory."

"Seth, I don't know what more you want me to say here. Give me something."

Leaning in, he gave her a kiss. "How's that?" he asked with a grin.

"I've had better." Seth shot her a look before laughing at the expression on her face. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her into his arms.

"Well, there's plenty of time after the show to do better," he conceded. "But we've gotta get going."

* * *

There was something different in the air between Seth and Jory, and Renee could sense it almost right away.

Things didn't seem out of the ordinary; they were still somewhat affectionate, and she still looked at him as if he was the only man in the universe. But Seth's actions the week before had put a lot of eyes on them, and while Seth seemed to be brushing it off expertly, Renee knew that the same couldn't be said for Jory. She had been thoroughly embarrassed the week before, especially when it made Pro Wrestling Sheet. "Seth Rollins Snaps on Girlfriend Backstage" is a terrible headline, no matter how anyone looked at it. Jory had been forced to tweet out a defense of Seth, imploring fans not to believe everything they read or hear, but Renee knew that Jory was beyond mortified. On the other side of the spectrum, Seth had been summoned to a meeting with Stephanie and Kurt, where he had to insist that it was nothing serious, that it was a brief show of frustration in an emotional situation, but Seth had still left with a fine.

Jory stood with Renee at the interview area, the two of them watching the monitor. Renee was dressed in red jeans and a black shirt underneath a black denim jacket decorated with flowers. Jory stood to Renee's left, dressed in her black and violet ring gear, her arms crossed over her chest.

"How are you? I know we haven't had a chance to talk much this last week..." Renee started. Jory smiled a tense grin. Coming into the arena, Jory's mood had plummeted; it seemed like every problem she had in her life revolved around her career, and it was beginning to permeate her relationship. Since arriving, Jory had yet to see Seth – he was with Roman and Finn, preparing for his six-man tag main event against Sanity. Just before, Jory was going to be taking on Nia Jax, and trying as hard as she could, Jory couldn't get herself to focus on the match. At the moment, Renee and Jory were watching The Revival take on the team of Titus World Wide, now with Dana Brooke in tow.

"Fine. I've been just fine," Jory replied.

"Seth?"

"He's fine, too." There was a pause. Jory looked over at Renee, taking in the expression on her face, and she sighed. "Don't hop on that train, okay? You and I both know him, and we both know that emotions were running high last week." She shook her head. "Everyone's been acting like I need to be rescued from Seth for the last week. I don't need that from you, too. You of all people know him." Renee nodded.

"Sorry. It's easy to lose sight when you hear things so much..."

"Right."

"Sorry, Jory."

"I just want to forget last week happened. To be honest, if I could forget about everything that's happened since Sanity brought their ugly asses up here, that would be fantastic."

Jory barely had the words out of her mouth before her world faded to black.

* * *

Baron Corbin wasn't a stupid man. At least, he liked to think he wasn't.

The moment he picked up his phone and Stephanie told him that he was going to be running the show, Baron knew that his night was going to be insane. He likened the situation to a substitute teacher; there was some level of respect, but not the level of respect reserved for the regulars. With Stephanie and Kurt as far away from the show as they could be, Baron knew that he had to step up and prove himself, that nobody was there to catch him if he fell. But, even he had to admit that the evening was testing his patience in ways he hadn't counted on. The inmates were attempting to run the asylum, and nobody was taking his authority seriously. He felt like he was crawling to the end of the night, where a good cigar and a tall glass of whiskey was waiting for him in a hotel bar. It felt like the only answer after the night he was having.

Dressed in a black button-down shirt with the top three buttons undone, black slacks and a purple and gold vest, he'd already been likened to a "waiter at TGI Friday's" by Finn Balor. It was a comparison that still made him roll his eyes, but he was choosing to let it roll off his back. The outfit was a choice, an attempt to look like he belonged in the position he was in. Earlier in the day, after leaving Jory and Seth, he'd stopped at a barbershop and got rid of his hair entirely. Since Stephanie and Kurt were putting more responsibilities on him, Baron decided to commit fully to being a professional. Through the course of the evening, he'd received a lot of second looks, but the general consensus among the people he talked to was that the new look was a hit.

Turning the corner, Baron made his way down the hall in long, brisk strides, his face a mixture of a scowl and concern. He had been talking to Titus O'Neil, Apollo Crews, and Dana Brooke, congratulating them on their victory over The Revival, when he'd heard the news about Jory's attack. It wasn't a secret backstage that the two of them were friends, so he'd excused himself right away. While he didn't have the evidence to prove it – he hadn't seen the video, or spoken to any witnesses yet – he was willing to bet that Alexa Bliss' name was all over the assault. When it came to Jordana Moody, Alexa Bliss never seemed to be far behind.

Coming to a stop at the trainer's room, he opened the door without knocking. He found Jory in her new ring gear that was going to have to wait another week to be debuted, laid out prone on an examination table, with a cool cloth over her face and a bag of ice curved around her neck. Sensing the body standing over her, Jory removed the cloth from her face, looking up at Baron. It took her a moment to register him.

"Hey," he said. "I just heard what happened. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said with a sigh, dropping the cloth beside her on the table. "I didn't see who ran up on me, but she's just going to have to try harder next time."

"What's the doc saying?"

"No concussion. Just a bump on the noggin. I'll be good as new in a while," she told him. Baron reached out, running his finger over the lump above her eyebrow. She winced and he reared his hand back. "I must have hit something on the way down."

"Where were you?"

"I was with Renee at the interview area." She struggled to sit up, prompting Baron to assist. She looked over at him, offering him a wan smile. "Thanks. I, uh, like the new look. You pull it off."

"Yeah? You think so?" he asked. She nodded.

"What turned you into Mr. GQ all of a sudden?" she asked.

"Just trying to take this seriously." He gave her a once-over. "That lump is gonna bruise."

"I know. It's a good thing the makeup team uses industrial foundation." He offered her a smile at her weak attempt at humor. She sighed. "I guess the match with Nia is off?"

"Yeah. Do you think I'm the kind of monster that would send you out there hurt?"

"Baron, I'm..."

"Hurt, so you're gonna take the rest of the night off. If you aren't doing anything, you can hang in my office and we'll catch the main event together." She saw something flicker in his eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing..."

"Baron."

"Someone took out Roman earlier. Someone took out Finn earlier."

"Sanity has been picking off Seth's partners all night," Jory corrected. Baron sighed.

"It looks that way."

"So Seth is going into a three-on-one match."

"That's not how I intended this..."

"I'm not accusing you," she told him. She put a hand to her head. There was no good way for this night to end, and she knew it. Once again, it was going to be another night where they rode back to the hotel in silence, with the tension so thick between them that it made her feel suffocated. She hoped at some point Seth and Roman found a way to make things work; she wasn't sure how much more their relationship could take.

* * *

 _"_ _I threw it all away, whoa oh, it doesn't make it better. Why am I the ostracized?_ _Maybe I can change..."_

Freshly showered, changed into black and pink pajama shorts and a black tank top, Jory sat alone in the middle of the bed, headphones in her ears, head leaned back against the headboard. With a loud, aggravated sigh, she let her head thump against the wood gently a couple times. She shut her eyes and wished that she could go back in time a few weeks when life felt simpler and more serene.

She was beginning to wonder if she was contagious. Like she had predicted at the end of the night, it had been tense and frosty after the match. Baron attempted to help – at Jory's insistence – by making it a no disqualification match, but it only seemed to make things worse. The match ended with a definitive Sanity victory, Eric standing over Seth's prone body, foot in the middle of Seth's back, holding the Intercontinental Championship high above his head.

While he never made it to check up on her after Alexa's attack, Jory made sure that she was there for Seth when he came through the curtain, but the sight of her seemed to make it worse. Seth had ranted and raved like a lunatic the entire time, the frustration once again getting the better of him. He accused Baron of setting everything up, of a conspiracy that involved Stephanie, Hunter, Kurt, and Baron. Knowing better than to say Baron's name while Seth was in such a mood, she just remained silent and let him get it out. He decided to ride to the next town with Roman, under the guise of finding something to combat Sanity.

So Jory had driven alone, listening to Icon For Hire as she drove down the semi-empty road, asking herself what more could be done in the situation. Neither was making a move to leave the other, but something was going to give sooner or later. She was beginning to feel like the third wheel in a world they had built for themselves, and she found she didn't like the feeling very much. Since Sanity had come to the roster, she felt like she was infected, like Seth just _couldn't_ be around her. He'd stopped just short of accusing Jory of conspiring with Baron to make him look bad, but the unspoken words seemed to hang between them while they walked back to the locker room.

It dawned on her that he'd never asked how she felt after the attack, never commented on the lump that was beginning to bruise above her eyebrow. Baron told Jory that Renee could barely process what happened, Alexa had moved so fast. It was her suspicion that it was Alexa's attempt to pull Jory out of the running for the Women's Championship and to seamlessly slide herself into the picture in Jory's place. Baron made a tag team match for the following week – Alexa and Nia were going to team up and take on Jory. She didn't have a partner yet, but Baron promised her that he'd have a great partner picked out for her.

She couldn't help but think about Baron. For his first night at the helm, she thought he'd done okay. Not great, but he'd survived the night. She couldn't believe that Baron would have set up Seth to fail and jeopardize his main event on his first night at the helm. There was no part about any of Seth's rantings that made sense, but she couldn't say anything; he was too far down the rabbit hole to listen.

Jory had arrived at the hotel alone, checked in alone, got settled alone. She had sent a text or two to Seth, telling him to be safe, telling him that she would see him when he got to the hotel, but she'd heard nothing back. It was hard to not feel like Seth was taking things out on her, things that were so far beyond her control.

Her phone buzzed, cutting her music out. She looked to see it was from Baron. _How's your head?_

 _Still there. How's yours?_

 _Still there._ She couldn't help but smile. _He still hot?_

 _Probably. He's out with Roman._

 _I'm sorry._

 _Not your fault._

 _If you aren't busy, I heard about this place. It's supposed to be haunted. The guy at the front desk was telling me. If you aren't too tired, I could always swing by and grab you._

Jory read Baron's message and thought about the invitation. Seth was already angry enough about her friendship with Baron, but he was still going to be a while, if he came back to the hotel room at all. There was a very good chance he could bunk with Roman and bypass her completely, all in the name of "strategy". If he came back to the room, she knew he'd still be in a bad mood. There was a chance that he would vent or ignore her while he showered and got ready for bed. She wondered how things could always be so good in the morning, but the days would end so badly.

The idea of a night out wasn't a bad one. She usually stayed in at the hotel, eating ice cream and watching TV until she fell asleep. She had to admit that the idea of going out and seeing something haunted had her interest piqued. Jory remembered how Baron's eyes had lit up, how wide his smile got while he talked to her about his interest in ghosts, and she had to admit it was something she wanted to see firsthand.

 _How long do I have?_

 _Where are you staying?_ Jory sent him the information. A moment later, her phone buzzed. _I'm across town. You still got twenty minutes or so. Is that a yes?_

 _Yeah. I'll see you when you get here._


	7. Chaos

**Chapter 6:**

 **Chaos**

* * *

It had happened slowly over time, but _SummerSlam_ had become a week-long spectacle, in the same vein as _WrestleMania_ in the spring. The entire company, from the ring crew to the Superstar roster, had set up shop in Brooklyn for the week. It was a chance for the roster who didn't live on the east coast to take in the attractions between the aggressive promotional schedule that was in place. While Jory would freely admit that it was nice to stay in a place for more than a night, there were still wall-to-wall press conferences, morning news appearances, radio interviews, and then the company commitments, like showing up to NXT shows and fan festivals. Jory had the feeling that it was only a matter of time before _SummerSlam_ was held in stadiums like _WrestleMania_ , instead of standard arenas like the Barclays Centre.

Jory pulled into the parking space behind the arena. Killing the ignition, she sat in silence behind the wheel for a few moments, letting her head fall back against the headrest. She sucked in a breath and shut her eyes. After Seth had made it back to the hotel last week, she had tried to talk to him. With every day that passed, it was getting harder for her to ignore the feeling that she was nothing more than a glorified work hookup, someone that he could sleep with on the road.

He hadn't been in the mood to talk. Jory winced, recalling how he had all but explicitly called her a distraction to her face. As hard as she tried, the words had hurt her like a punch in the chest. Since then, the two had barely spoken. After everything they had been through, Jory was heartbroken that he saw her that way. So, after getting home, she'd started making her plans for _SummerSlam_ ; the first order of business was asking to be roommates with Nia, who agreed. Jory knew that Nia wanted to ask what was happening with Jory and Seth, but Jory was relieved that Nia had kept that to herself. She had sent Seth a text message to tell him about the change in plans, but he hadn't responded. Jory realized she hadn't heard from him since they separated at the airport. Sitting behind the steering wheel, Jory realized that she wasn't looking forward to seeing him. It was her plan to keep her head down and avoid him.

It was six days until _SummerSlam_ , and Jory could feel the electricity in the air, a stark contrast to the tension that had taken over her body. She wasn't sure where things were headed with Seth, but she had a feeling that there wasn't going to be a happy ending. He had told her they could talk after _SummerSlam_ , that until then, all of his focus needed to go on keeping his title, a title that he was already resigned to losing. All last week she'd heard nothing but Seth lament over it, talking about how he was screwed, that nobody could help him, that Sanity had played the numbers game better than The Shield had. Jory disagreed, and she still struggled to understand how Seth could be so defeatist.

She stepped out of the car, dressed in sleek black vinyl leggings and a maroon sleeveless top with a draping neckline that revealed a hint of her black bra. Her hair was pulled away from her face and curled, the heels on her boots sky high. No accessories and bold makeup completed a look that she had told her reflection was "bad-ass". She walked around to the back of her rental car and grabbed her bag. Slipping the keys to her rental in the front compartment after she locked the car, she pulled up the handle and made her way towards the arena, dragging the bag on wheels behind her.

Fans were lined up on the other side of the barricade, held back by security guards in bright yellow jackets. They were rabid, cheering and begging Jory to stop and take selfies with them, to sign autographs. With a smile on her face that felt fake and plastic, Jory approached and did what she was supposed to do. She posed and signed things for a few minutes before she attempted to break away to go into the arena.

The attack happened so quickly that Jory had no time to brace for it.

There had been a loud warning from a couple fans, but before the words even registered in her brain, she was rammed, rib-first against the barricade. The wind was knocked out of her almost immediately before she crumpled to the ground, gasping for air. She had no time to catch her breath, as she felt a hand on her ponytail, dragging her across the parking lot. Jory struggled, hands on the hand, her feet scraping along the ground. She winced; between her ankle rolling and twisting and the burning in her scalp, she couldn't tell what hurt worse.

Dropped to the concrete, Alexa Bliss straddled Jory and began hitting her over and over again with open and closed fists, her pink-tinged blonde hair swinging everywhere as she attacked. She was yelling incoherently, war cries. Jory got her forearms up to protect her face, only for Alexa to shift and begin driving her knee into Jory's ribs, over and over. Jory felt her ankle swelling inside her boot.

Referees and security moved quickly, shouting for Alexa to stop. Several agents ran behind them. Alexa was grabbed and yanked off Jory, who rolled to her side and curled into a ball, gasping and releasing choked sobs from the pain she was in. Swinging her hair out of her way with her hands, Alexa narrowed her blue eyes at the woman on the ground in front of her.

"That's just a taste, bitch," Alexa shouted. "That's _my_ title – _mine!_ And you'll get it over my dead body!"

"Alexa, that's enough!" Jory didn't see who shouted that, but the voice sounded familiar. Every breath felt like it took a great deal of effort. Danilo, one of the WWE referees, slid in front of her.

"Jordana, are you all right?"

"Help..." she managed.

"We're going to get you to the trainer's office. Don't worry – we'll get you patched up good as new."

Jory barely registered the words. She was in her own world of pain, and there wasn't anything at the moment that could pull her out.

* * *

Dressed in a black button-down shirt rolled up to the sleeves and a burgundy blazer with a black back, Baron stood in the General Manager's office to the left of Kurt, the two of them silently watching the camera capturing the footage in the parking lot. It was Baron's plan to shadow Kurt for the night and try to soak in every single bit of advice he could get. There wasn't a soul alive in the locker room that would say Kurt wasn't one of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of boots; the fact that his run as General Manager in 2004 – while full of him trying to engage in petty vendettas – had been relatively successful. Baron knew that the smartest thing he could do was seize every opportunity to pick Kurt's brain.

Kurt watched the television, bemused, dressed in a blue suit with a white button-down shirt and a red tie. Baron had his arms crossed over his chest, his lips pursed into a thin line. "The situation between Jordana and Alexa is beginning to reach critical mass again," Baron informed him. Kurt nodded; WWE cameras always seemed to be positioned everywhere, so he wasn't at all surprised to see that the attack had been captured on film; the same way his horrible fall at the hands of the Big Show had during his run as GM. "Tell me you have a solution, or at least an idea, Kurt."

"I do, but it's nothing that's gonna happen tonight," Kurt told him. With a sigh, Kurt let his hands drop to his sides. "I mean, I can't in good conscience send Jordana out there after that. I would just be setting her up to fail, and I could send her into an injury that could put her on the shelf for God knows how long."

"You're right." Baron shook his head. "This is the second week in a row that Alexa has attacked Jordana like a coward. You know it's because she wants the Women's Championship. We can't be out here rewarding her for behaving like this, Kurt. You know it, and I know it."

"You're right, but at some point, I think they should battle it out for the shot." Kurt turned to Baron. "At this rate, I feel like we need to hire a bodyguard for Jordana. This is getting ridiculous." Baron nodded. The two men fell silent. Kurt's cell phone went off, and he pulled it out of his pocket to read the message.

"Any word on her injuries?" Baron asked. Kurt shook his head.

"It's the wife. No word yet – I'm going to send you to the trainer's room to look in on her. I know you two are friends. I'm sure you're itching to make sure she's all right. Before you go, though – I want to do something for you."

"What's that?"

"Well, you've been holding your own around here pretty well, so I wanted to let you book a match tonight."

"For real?"

"Yeah. What do you got?"

"Off the top of my head...I want a rematch from last week. Seth, Roman, and Finn against Sanity. No disqualification, no count outs, falls count anywhere. I want a winner."

"Sounds like a hell of a main event," Kurt told him.

"I am going to go and check on Jory."

"Do that. Send her my best."

"I will." With that, Baron left the office. Kurt turned his attention back to the TV screen.

* * *

"Hey! I saw what happened out there. Unacceptable. Are you okay?"

Jory looked up to find Baron standing in front of her, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows. In his left hand, he held a blue ice pack. He held it out to her, offering her a sheepish smile. With a sigh, she took the bag and placed it on her swollen ankle. "I'm pretty far from okay," she informed him angrily. She shook her head. "I should have seen it coming. She got me last week, too."

"It's not your fault," Baron assured her. "She was out of line. Besides, with all the security in the parking lot, it's not a stretch to think that nobody would try anything." She shot him a look, and all he could do was offer her a comforting smile in return. "What does the doc have to say about your injuries?"

"Ribs are probably bruised. Ankle is twisted. He said I should be okay in the next week or two. But if you've got plans for me this week, then it's off the table now." She huffed. "Which is probably just what that little bitch wanted."

"She can't get away with this forever, Jory. You and I both know that. One of these days, you're going to get your hands on her again, and you're going to remind her why you aren't someone to fuck with." He put a hand on her shoulder. She shot him a skeptical look. "Jory, Kurt was mentioning..."

The door burst open, and Jory was surprised to find Seth standing in front of them, dressed in his ring gear and one of his T-shirts, his hair tied back in a bun at the base of his neck. Standing in front of them, Seth's eyes shifted between the two of them, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Baron's hand on her shoulder. Even though she wasn't doing anything wrong, just talking to a friend, Jory couldn't help but feel like she had done something terrible by the look he was giving her. Baron removed his hand and turned to Seth, the smug smile on his face lighting Seth's already shortened fuse.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?" Seth asked loudly. Jory realized right away that Seth was out to make a scene, and she suddenly wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. She could read it on his face, in the tension in his body and the position he assumed. She sighed.

"What could you possibly be interrupting?" Baron asked him. Seth glared at the tall man in front of him. He knew that Baron wasn't oblivious; the smile on Baron's face told Seth that the "constable" knew _exactly_ what he was doing. "Kurt sent me to check on your woman since she got jumped in the parking lot. Is that why you're here? I mean, this is the second time she's been attacked in two weeks, and I figure someone should be here with her to make sure she's all right."

Jory sucked in a breath. That was a shot across the bow with Seth, and she knew it. As much as she wanted to jump in and defend Seth, she didn't have it in her to do it, because she knew Baron was right. Seth had completely ignored her last week. Seth's eyes narrowed and Jory felt her hand begin to shake. She was prepared for a brawl to break out between the two men, and she was too injured to stop it if it happened. Seth shook his head; he refused to let the comment slide.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Seth demanded angrily, shoving Baron away from Jory and taking his place beside Jory, his _rightful_ place, as far as he was concerned. Baron shot a look at Jory, who appeared downright mortified. He raised his hands in surrender.

"Where were you last week?" Baron asked. "She might be too nice to call you out on your shit, but I'm not."

"Baron..." There was a twinge of warning in Jory's voice. Baron's gaze moved to her, his expression softening.

"Don't talk to him," Seth barked. Jory's eyes narrowed. Baron shook his head in disgust.

"Rest your ankle, Jory – I'll talk to you later."

"Over my dead body, you will," Seth growled.

" _Seth_." Jory's tone was tense and angry, firm and full of authority, but it did no good. She reached out to grab Seth's arm to hold him in place, but he shook out of her grasp. The last thing she wanted was for the two of them to come to blows in the medical room. Sure, there was no better place for it to happen, but she had visions of being knocked off the examination table and getting hurt worse. _Men_ , she thought to herself bitterly.

"I need to get back to Kurt. Good luck on your match tonight," Baron offered.

"Like you fucking care," Seth shot back.

Baron grinned. "I do, Rollins. A win could do wonders for you. Get you some momentum going into _SummerSlam_ , and who knows? If you get your groove back in the ring, maybe you can start measuring up where it counts."

Seth saw red. "You motherfucker..."

"Seth!"

He didn't hear Jory. Infuriated, he lunged at Baron, but Jory grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back. "Stop it!" she exclaimed. For the past few weeks, she kept thinking she couldn't be more embarrassed, and every week, she seemed to be getting surprised at how mortified she could be.

Baron was gone, and they knew his grin was a mile wide. Not only was that a direct hit, but it had also been a knockout. As angry as Jory wanted to be with Baron, she knew the situation was going to come to a head quickly because of the way Seth walked into the room. There was never going to be a good outcome.

Seth yanked himself out of Jory's grasp and wheeled on her. "You're really going to let him talk to me like that?" he yelled, his anger seemingly bouncing off every wall in the room. Jory's eyes narrowed.

"How was he supposed to react when you came in here acting like he was the enemy?" she retorted.

"He _is_ the enemy!" Seth shouted back at her. He shook his head. "What the fuck are you telling him about us?"

"I don't tell him anything. I don't talk to anybody about you," she insisted, but she could see in his eyes that he didn't believe her, and the fact that he saw her as a liar was just as crushing as his words the week before.

"I've humored this shit with him long enough, but it stops here. I don't want you hanging out with him. I don't want to hear that you're around him. I don't want to hear his name. Ever."

Jory studied him with narrowed eyes. After a moment, they widened, incredulous. "You're serious."

"Of course I'm fucking serious."

"Wow." Jory removed the ice pack from her ankle and slowly slid herself off the table. Reaching down, she picked up her boots. Whatever concerns Seth had about her injury had disappeared; he was so angry in the moment that he couldn't see the forest for the trees. "I can't believe you."

"Can't believe _me?_ You seriously just stayed silent while he came in here and attacked my manhood, and my career, and you can't believe _me_? That's fucked up."

"He attacked you because _you_ walked in here with your Jealous Boyfriend hat on, and let me tell you – this look _sucks_ on you," Jory snapped back at him. She shook her head. "If you think for a second you get to dictate any part of my life with the way you've been acting, Seth, I have to tell you – it's not happening."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means." She shook her head. "Jesus, I've never been more embarrassed."

"You're embarrassed? Well, let me tell you..."

Just then, the door opened, and their gazes shifted to Roman. His presence forced every word to die in the air between them. With a last death glare at Seth, Jory limped out of the room, and Seth remembered that she was injured. "Jory..." he started, but the door slammed behind her. Roman turned to Seth, incredulous.

"Are you out of your fucking mind, bro?"

"Not you, too..." Seth started angrily, but Roman held up his hand to silence him.

"Everyone could hear you two shouting at each other down the hallway," Roman told him. "And I hate to tell you...with the way you've been the last few weeks, it's not a good look for you."

"He started it!" Seth shook his head in disgust. "And she couldn't even be bothered to take my side. What kind of fucking bullshit is that?"

Roman placed his hands on Seth's shoulders and stared deep into the eyes of the man known as the Kingslayer. "Seth, listen to me: remember our talk last week. Whatever the fuck is happening between you two right now has to wait. It has to wait until _SummerSlam_ is over, or that title that you've worked so hard to get is going to end up in the hands of Eric Young, and God knows what the fuck he is going to do with that.

" _Focus_ , Seth. Are you focused?"

With an aggravated sigh, Seth nodded. "Focused."

"Good. Stay that way."

* * *

Seth should have been happy.

He'd gone out with Roman and Finn for some beers after the three of them had finally accomplished a feat Seth had been trying for weeks – they had defeated Sanity, the three men the last team standing to close out _Raw_. After the show, the trio had ended up at a cool little joint called the Gotham City Lounge, a comic book themed wall with murals of Batman and Wonder Woman on the walls. Seth was bummed they didn't serve food, but it was a fun hole in the wall. He drank virgin drinks while the guys had some beers. The men had talked about the victory, about how great it felt to give Sanity a dose of their own medicine after spending so many weeks on the losing end.

But Seth wasn't happy. The fight with Jory and the cross exchange with Baron were weighing on him. He couldn't help but wonder if Jory wasn't satisfied with their sex life. She'd never said anything about it, so he always assumed things were good. He couldn't understand why she was being so difficult while he was dealing with so much.

He wasn't happy to come back to an empty hotel room. Jory's text message about rooming with Nia for the week had hurt him, but he supposed it wasn't a surprise after their "talk" the week before. But now, alone in his hotel room, he realized he missed the sound of her singing in the shower, of their ice cream nights, and the smell of her perfume.

With a sigh, Seth pulled out his cell phone and stared at the screen. He thought about sending a message to Jory, about throwing himself on her mercy. But he couldn't do it. Baron's words had cut him deeper than he realized, and he couldn't help but think she was spilling the beans to Baron about personal things.

Another thought crossed his mind – was she sleeping with him? They had looked awfully comfortable in the trainer's room when he walked in. Baron had somehow seamlessly slid himself into Jory's life, and Seth didn't like or trust that one bit. Did he go about things wrong earlier in the night? Removed from the scene in the locker room, Seth had to admit once again that he had acted like a world-class jerk. But he wasn't about to apologize for looking out for his girlfriend. For that reason, he decided that he was not going to apologize at all.

He wondered if she was with him right now. His mind began to go in a million different directions, some of the scenes in his mind making him angry enough to throw his phone. He ended up dropping it on the bed and shaking his head in disgust. "Just how well does he know you, Jory?" he murmured, sitting down heavily on the bed. Flopping back, he covered his face with his hands. Roman wanted him to stay focused, but alone at night, he found this was all he had to think about.

* * *

In the midst of her conversation with the girls, Renee let her eyes drift to Jory, who quietly sat between Nia and Paige, staring absently at her cocktail, a concoction called "This Is Halloween". The Canadian interviewer was still in the clothing she wore at the show, in the red velour romper with black wedges and a black denim jacket with red and pink flowers. The waves in her hair had fallen flat a little while before, but Renee didn't care. The only thing she cared about was the glass of wine in front of her, and the sullen friend across from her.

To Jory's right, Paige chatted excitedly, her deep British voice bouncing off the walls of the Beetle House in New York, a bar themed around the work of Tim Burton. The bar was lit in purple neon, the walls white brick and adorned with Gothic decorations. People there were dressed as various characters, from Edward Scissorhands to Beetlejuice to Sweeney Todd. Without being asked or volunteering, Jory had ended up taking all the pictures Paige wanted with the people in costume. Jory would be the first to admit that the Beetle House was up Paige's alley, and if she had been in a better mood, hers, too. She thought Paige didn't look out of place in the building the way that she and the others did.

For the past fifteen months, Paige had been sitting on the sidelines with a serious neck injury. She had arrived at _Raw_ as a surprise to most of the Superstars, but those closest to her knew she was there to see the WWE medical staff to go over some test results and gauge where she was at in her recovery. Jory knew that Paige was doing everything in her power to try and get cleared to go back into the ring, and whatever was said in the meeting gave Paige the belief that it was going to happen. She was in the mood to celebrate, she'd announced, before telling the women about the bar.

Now, at the table, she talked feverishly about her return, about her desire to bring Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville, two women she had judged and mentored on _Tough Enough_ , with her. Jory didn't know either woman, so she had no opinion on the subject. Dressed head to toe in black, with her long thick black hair pulled back into a high ponytail, Paige smiled and laughed while she sipped on her Coco Skellington cocktail.

Renee's pink lips pursed into a narrow line as she sipped her Fleet Street Martini, her hazel eyes on Jory, who was staring down at her drink. She swirled the cup absently on the tabletop, eyes glued to the surface. Renee knew that she didn't want to be in the bar with them; Renee had forced her. She knew that Jory wanted to go back to the hotel and forget that everything had happened, to lick her wounds and cry after everything she had been through, everything she was going through, but this outing had been forced on her. Jory wasn't talking, wasn't complaining about anything with Seth, but she knew things were taking its toll. Once again, Seth's temper had been the talk of the locker room.

"You okay, Jory?" Renee asked. Mint green eyes shifted to meet Renee's. She nodded, lips puckered before her gaze went back to the drink she was still absently swirling.

"What's your deal tonight?" Paige asked, put out that Jory wasn't in a celebratory mood.

"Give her a break – she's had a bad night," Nia told her. "She started _Raw_ getting attacked by Alexa, and then her man almost laid out her boss, and then she had the _mother_ of all fights with him. Everyone could hear it." With a smile, Nia sipped on her Chocolate Chocolate Martini while Jory's jaw clenched. Her expression went from despondent to angry. The last thing she wanted to do was think about the fight with Seth and Baron. She was upset at both of them. Seth looking her in the eyes and dictating who she could and couldn't see had gotten under her skin a way she hadn't foreseen. The truth was that she was _very_ angry, at both of them.

After her experience in The Authority, Jory liked to think that she wasn't completely naive and oblivious. She liked to think that Seth was in the same boat since their experiences had been somewhat similar. Jory knew that every relationship had its ups and downs, that there would be arguments and disagreements, but the downward spiral they had fallen into had caught her out of nowhere, and the truth was she didn't know how to fix things. She was getting attacked left and right, and Baron was right – it was a crap shoot about whether or not he cared enough to check in on her. Lately, she felt like Seth wasn't hearing a word she said, and it was beginning to make her feel crazy.

"What? Seth almost laid out Kurt?" Paige asked, her brown eyes wide. Renee shook her head.

"Baron." Jory shot Renee a sharp look but remained silent.

"Seth was _furious_ ," Nia replied. "I've never heard him so loud in my life. I know they like to say Dean was the lunatic of The Shield, but lately, Seth has been giving that man a run for his money." Jory sighed, a loud exhale to signal that she was annoyed with the topic. But the girls weren't about to drop the topic.

"That's a shame. You two seemed so happy the last time I saw you," Paige told her wistfully. Jory threw her drink back and took a huge sip, downing half her glass with a gulp. "I always thought you two were like a fairy tale. The prince and princess of The Authority..."

"Fairy tales don't exist." Jory's words were blunt. Renee shook her head.

"Baron attacked Seth's manhood, and Seth didn't think you stood up for him," Nia recapped. The girls were looking at Jory now.

"Is that true?" Paige asked. In response, Jory finished her drink and stood. Reaching into her wallet, she grabbed her share of the money and dropped it on the table.

"I don't want to do this. You guys have fun. I'm out."

"Jory..." Renee started, but Jory was already halfway to the door. Her plan was to hail a cab, go back to the hotel, and forget that she had lived through this day. She was done. With everyone and everything.


	8. SummerSlam

**Chapter 7:**

 **SummerSlam**

* * *

Seth stood by himself in the catering area backstage, pouring some coffee into a Styrofoam cup. He was doing everything in his power to stay focused, but his mind kept drifting back to the fight he'd had with Jory on Monday. Six long days had passed since she had stormed out of the trainer's room, and she had effectively frozen him out as a result of the fight with Baron. She ignored every e-mail, tweet, direct and text message he sent. Jory was not talking to him _at all._ If she didn't accept his apology, all he wanted was for her to say that he could shove it. He was even sure she had told her friends to keep her name out of their mouths; nobody was giving him anything when it came to her. He sipped his coffee and huffed, wishing he could do what Roman told him and just push it out of his mind until his match was over later. Then he could try and right the ship. But Roman was right; he needed to stay focused.

"Hey, bro. Good luck tonight."

Turning, Seth greeted Roman with a curt nod. Roman was already dressed in his black and gold ring gear, but his hair was still dry, in a low bun that rested against the base of his skull. While Seth was competing somewhere towards the middle of the card, Roman was the main event player for the evening, looking to wrest the WWE Universal Championship away from Brock Lesnar. Roman looked focused but relaxed. Seth was always jealous that Roman could handle the pressure of situations like this. Seth wasn't sure he could get any tenser.

"You, too, man. If anyone can take Lesnar down a peg or two, it's you," Seth offered, sipping his coffee. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask Roman if he had seen Jory around, but he didn't want another lecture about staying focused. Roman seemed to talk _at_ Seth like Seth didn't know the stakes that were riding on the match this evening. Seth knew all too well; Sanity had managed to climb into his skull and make a home inside his brain. Everything in his life was suffering because of the damage they seemed to constantly inflict on him. Losing to Eric tonight would be catastrophic to his psyche, and he knew it. He _needed_ this win. While Roman had Paul Heyman at ringside to contend with, Seth knew he had to have eyes in the back of his head to watch for Killian and Alexander. The whereabouts of Nikki Cross left him stressed out; he was sure she was poised to leave NXT and make her way here anytime. Seth knew it wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when.

"You got a strategy for Eric's boys?" Roman asked. Seth shook his head.

"I've been trying, but I got nothing. Maybe I'll get lucky and Balor will come out to give a brother a hand," Seth said with a sigh. "If I'm even luckier, they'll get caught pulling some shit and get sent back here." Seth took another sip of coffee. He wasn't yet in his ring gear, instead dressed in black jeans and his Kingslayer T-shirt underneath a Blackcraft Cult hoodie that was unzipped. Coffee was his first order of business; everything else could follow after. While he made his way to the coffee area, he'd hoped to run into Jory, but he hadn't. He was beginning to wonder if she was even in the building.

"Have you asked Finn to come out and give you a hand if things get rough?" Roman asked. Seth shook his head.

"I thought about it, but I mean, let's be real - how much of a dent is Finn gonna make with Alexander and Killian? The two of them together make, like, _three_ Finn's," Seth retorted. Roman nodded. Seth shook his head, hoping to change the subject. "What about you? You got a strategy with Lesnar?"

"Trial and error. The usual," Roman said with a laugh. It was his third attempt to take the championship away from Brock. A high-profile loss at _WrestleMania_ had left Roman feeling motivated to get the title back. Since Brock only showed up to _Raw_ ten or twelve dates out of the year, it was months at a time that the show didn't have a champion, something everyone in the locker room thought was ridiculous. Even General Manager Kurt Angle was beginning to voice his displeasure since Brock wasn't even doing any promotional appearances with the title. Roman held out his fist. "We run this tonight."

"We do," Seth said, forcing a grin on his face as he bumped fists. He sipped his coffee, his mind wandering back to Jory. She had been injured on Monday; he wondered how she was recovering from the attack. He knew that she had to be upset that she had been left off the _SummerSlam_ card. It occurred to Seth out of nowhere that he hadn't talked to Jory about anything of substance in a while. He couldn't remember the last time they'd been on a date.

Seth looked up. Roman turned his head. Their movements were just in time for their eyes to fall on Jory as she walked through the catering area. She wasn't looking around; she was focused on wherever she was headed. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a high ponytail that swung with every step she took. Giant sunglasses covered half her face. She was dressed in a pair of black jeans, with black knee-high thick-heeled boots that went over the leg. A plain black T-shirt and a leather jacket with two stripes around the arms - Seth recognized that jacket right away as Leon's jacket from _Resident Evil 6 -_ finished her look. She had been so excited when it had arrived. He thought about calling out to her, to draw her attention, but she was gone quickly.

"After the show. You can deal with her after the show," Roman reminded him. Seth nodded, sipping his coffee, watching the area where she had just gone. She didn't look in his direction, didn't acknowledge him, or anything. Her ignorance of him hit him square in the chest; for a moment, he found it hard to breathe. He covered that up by sipping more coffee and absently listening to Roman talk about his plans as WWE Universal Champion.

* * *

Like Seth Rollins, Baron Corbin also found himself feeling the wrath of Jordana Moody over the events of Monday night. Like Seth, she'd completely ghosted him; leaving him hanging at every opportunity. It wasn't lost on Baron that the two minutes of bickering with Seth had caused both of them to end up on the outs with her, and as frustrated as Baron was that she was angry at him, he understood the situation. It wasn't lost on him - or anyone with a working set of eyes and ears, really - that Seth had been blowing up on her _a lot_ backstage as of late. Baron knew that she had to be tired of being constantly embarrassed. Both men had looked awful on Monday, and Baron wasn't at all proud of his behavior. But he was tired of Seth's smug attitude and his shitty behavior. As far as Baron was concerned, Seth's ego was out of control, and he was being a selfish dick.

In the end, while Jory ignored him, Baron had to explain himself to Kurt, and in the end, he'd had to apologize to the medical staff for putting them in that situation. But he told Kurt in no uncertain terms that it would be a cold, frosty day in Hell before he ever tucked his tail between his legs to give Seth Rollins an apology. _Seth_ had started the entire argument. _Seth_ had walked into the locker room looking for a fight. _Seth_ was the one who had acted belligerent. As far as Baron was concerned, he did nothing wrong.

But he would freely acknowledge that owed Jory an apology. He'd heard Seth yelling at her as he walked away from the trainer's room, and it had taken everything inside of him not to wheel around and go back to her. He knew that would have made things a lot worse for her, and that was the last thing he wanted. His intentions had been pure; he had only been there to make sure she was all right. The last thing he wanted was Seth berating her and making a scene at her expense. She had been injured. The more Baron thought about the situation, the angrier he got with Seth.

He was on his way to catering when he saw Jory walking towards him in the hallway. She looked great. If there was any residual pain from Alexa's attack on Monday, he couldn't visibly see it. He took in her get-up and smiled.

She saw him. Stopping in her tracks, his smile faded when her shoulders curved. Baron's lips pursed into a thin line; that had not been the reaction he had been expecting to get from her. Before he could open his mouth, she turned on her heels and started walking the opposite way.

"Jory! Jory, please...Jory, stop!"

He rushed in front of her quickly - she was walking, after all - and took her gently by the shoulders. She reared back from him, breaking his grip on her, and he raised his hands in surrender, taking a step back. Baron didn't have to take off her sunglasses to know that she was glaring daggers at him from the other side of the pitch black lenses. "Can we talk for a moment, please? I've been waiting for you to get here all day."

"No." The tone of her voice left no room for argument, but Baron was willing to fight.

"Jory, I'm sorry," he blurted. "I'm sorry about everything that happened to you on Monday. I'm sorry for the hand I played in it. I'm sorry for all the pain and embarrassment it caused you. He just...he came in, and he got started, and I know I should have been professional, but I wasn't, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for every ounce of pain and trouble it caused you. I'm sorry for all of it. You didn't deserve it. And I don't know what I have to do to fix this, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes. I'm sorry. If you want me to go out to the ring to open _SummerSlam_ and repeat all of this, I'll do it. If you want me to go to catering, stand on a table and shout it out for everyone to hear, I'll do that too. I'm sorry."

"Oh, God, please don't do that," she groaned. "This...this is fine."

"Is it really?" he asked. She sighed.

"Yes. It's fine."

"I'm sorry about everything that happened Monday. It wasn't fair. I lost my head, and I quit thinking."

"We've all done that," she said with a sigh. "Thank you for your apology."

"Kurt wants me to apologize to _him_ , but I said not a fucking chance." Jory couldn't help but smile at that. The way she saw it, while Baron had his hand in the embarrassment and grief she had to endure, it was Seth who started everything by coming into the room with his claws out. In the six days that had passed, her view of the situation hadn't changed.

"That's up to you two to figure out. I'm staying out of that," she told him. Baron nodded.

"I can respect that," he told her honestly. He looked down the hall and sighed. "I hate to cut our chat short, Jory, but I need to sneak a quick meal and get back to Kurt and Stephanie. Enjoy the show tonight, okay?" She nodded. Baron gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder as he passed her. She turned and watched him leave until he turned the corner. With a sigh, she turned and walked down the hallway, towards the back parking lot. As she turned the corner, she could hear the sound of an acoustic guitar.

Sitting on a black and silver trunk, she found Elias Samson sitting with a leg crooked, dressed in a black Johnny Cash shirt that saw the Man in Black with his middle finger up. The finger had been covered by black tape for TV-PG purposes. He had several scarves in shades of pale pink, teal, and black around his neck, with black bandanas tied around his wrists. His hair was pulled back out of his face. He strummed absently.

While Seth had wrestled Elias a few times, nobody in the locker room seemed to know a lot about him. Elias cut a mysterious figure backstage, a man who kept to himself, only wandering around absently strumming his weathered guitar. In the ring, he liked to play, to brag about his rockstar prowess and the groupies who followed him, but nobody ever saw him with anyone behind the scenes. He was a wanderer, randomly appearing, walking past with a song at his fingertips.

She came to a stop about six inches away from him, listening to him play. It was a few moments before he seemed to notice that she was standing in the vicinity. He looked up at her, the music coming to an abrupt stop. They stared at each other, gauging each other. She saw something flicker in his warm brown eyes. Finally, he offered her a curt nod. She did the same. He continued playing, and she continued to make her way towards the parking lot.

* * *

While some people would be upset to be left off the _SummerSlam_ card, an event so important that it was billed as "The Biggest Party of the Summer", Alexa Bliss knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. Sure, it sucked that she wasn't on the card, competing for the Women's Championship. It was lame that she got to sit back and watch that idiot Sasha Banks and her loser frenemy Bayley compete for it. But, unlike the other girls, Alexa could step outside the box and see the bigger picture. She got to watch the women compete, got to see what they could do and what made them tick. As far as she was concerned, whoever ended up with the title at the end of the night was nothing more than a placeholder, a belt-warmer until she could get in there and compete. It didn't matter who she won; she'd take the title when the time was right for her.

Dressed in a plain black tank top and black leggings with her Little Miss Bliss hoodie, Alexa got out of her rental car, a candy apple red Toyota Camry. Turning to lock the car, Jory rushed her quickly, ramming her into the vehicle. Grabbing her by the hair, Jory bounced Alexa's face off the side, forcing the diminutive Diva to stumble backward. There was a fleeting thought in her head, wondering where the hell Jory had come from, but there was little else beyond that. Everything else was a matter of survival and self-preservation.

Grabbed again, Alexa was flung backward violently. It was an ugly spill to the concrete, Alexa's head hitting the door of the car beside her. Sitting against the car, holding her throbbing skull, Alexa had no time to brace for the repeated kicks to the chest that Jory gave her, kicks that would for sure leave bruises in the morning. Jory took a step back as Alexa wheezed. "You're not so tough now, are you?" Jory taunted.

Reaching down, Jory grabbed Alexa by the hair. Alexa swung at Jory, clipping her in the side of the head, but a hard knee to the midsection left Alexa buckling to the concrete and gasping for air. The hit had done nothing to slow Jory's momentum; the element of surprise and the advantage of silence had worked like gangbusters. Pulling Alexa up, Jory swung her arms in a wide arc, throwing Alexa over the hood of her rental car. Alexa landed on the surface with a heavy _thud_ , rolling off the edge and landing on the ground with another sick sound. Thirty feet ahead, behind the steel barricades, the fans that were lingering on the outside chanted "Jordana!" On any other day, Jory would have appreciated the love; now, she was too far in the zone to pull herself out.

Alexa tried to crawl away, gasping for air. Jory approached quickly, kicking her hard in the ribs. Alexa crumpled to the ground, curling into the fetal position. Then, it was a role reversal of Monday, this time with Jory on top of Alexa, hitting her in the face over and over again with open and closed fists.

Jory wasn't stupid; she knew that she had a short window of time to pull off this attack. In a matter of moments, security guards and backstage agents and producers would be running out the doors to end the fight while the crowd would shout for the fight to continue. It was Jory's goal to deal as much damage as she could in the little time she had. She stood, moving around Alexa, grabbing her by the hood to pull her up. Lifting Alexa onto her shoulder, she rushed as fast as she could in her heeled boots and dropped Alexa hard on the hood of her rental. Stepping back, Jory grinned as Alexa groaned and fell off the car, landing in a sitting position in front of the fender.

"Lesson number one, Alexa - payback is a bitch, and I am _just getting started_ ," Jory informed her darkly. She took two steps away from Alexa and turned, walking towards the doors that would lead her back into the arena, walking past the agents and referees that burst through the doors like a SWAT team. She was already inside the arena before they reached Alexa, and before she could tell them what happened. As she walked down the hall, Jory adjusted her jacket. She felt like a bonafide badass.

* * *

Bruised and battered, Roman Reigns burst through the black curtains and half-stumbled down the three steel steps that would take him into the backstage area. His brand-new WWE Universal Championship that still bore the side-plates of Brock Lesnar was draped over his left shoulder. Roman was exhausted, his thick black mane soaked with sweat. He was sure everyone in a five-mile radius could see how tired he felt. Everyone always said there was a reason why they called Brock Lesnar "The Beast"; the man was an absolute freak of nature, and Roman knew it and appreciated it. While Brock had thrown everything he could at Roman - mostly F5 maneuvers and German suplexes - Roman had emerged victorious.

He walked with slumped shoulders. In spite of the tiredness, Roman was proud to hold the title, to represent the company at its highest level. He was proud to bring the title back to _Raw_ , who hadn't seen their biggest championship in over a hundred and fifty days. It took him a few moments to regain his posture, to find footing that felt a little more solid and sound. While his entire body felt like caving in on itself, Roman knew his first game plan was a few cold beers. Then he'd go back to his hotel room and call the wife, and talk to the kids before he fell face-first into his bed. In the morning, it would be wash, rinse, repeat, the same routine in the morning, but for now, he wanted to soak up everything he could.

Looking ahead, Roman's exhausted smile faded at the sight of Seth and Finn standing in the interview area, their arms crossed over their chests, both of them with dour expressions on their faces. Earlier in the evening, in what had been a wild and crazy match, Seth had lost his Intercontinental Championship. As far as Roman was concerned, there was no shame in the loss; it had been a war. Finn had gone to lend a hand, but in the end, it had proven futile. Roman wasn't sure if Seth had gotten too deep inside his own head, but he'd lost this battle, and the Intercontinental Championship with it. He knew that Seth was taking it hard; Seth wasn't a guy who liked to lose _anything_. He was the sorest loser Roman knew.

Roman's lips pulled into a thin line. Things weren't going great for Seth lately, and he knew it. Seth was a man who allowed his career to define him; this loss was more than just a loss. It was embedded in his psyche. On top of the trouble with Sanity, Roman knew that his relationship with Jory was on rickety legs. Seth couldn't seem to figure out where things had gone wrong between them. Sanity had gotten under his skin and shaken his confidence in a way that Roman had never seen before. If he wasn't witnessing it every night for the past few weeks, Roman never would have believed it. Seth had tried as hard as he could to claw his way out, but he'd been knocked down to the bottom. Now, Seth had no title and a girlfriend who was extremely angry at him. Roman wasn't sure it could get any worse for him.

"I'm sorry, Seth. I tried. I really did."

Finn's voice sounded sheepish, but the apology was genuine. Finn had already showered and changed, dressed in one of his Balor Club T-shirts and black basketball shorts. Seth was still in his gear, frozen in place, his black hair dried and wild from the match. With a sigh, Seth's shoulders curved. "I know, man. Thanks for trying." Seth turned his head and saw Roman. Seth was so despondent, he couldn't even fake a smile for his brother. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, man." Seth and Roman bumped fists. "I'm sorry about your night."

"There's always tomorrow, right?" Seth said wearily. Roman nodded.

"That's the way to look at it." Roman looked down the hall, where Stephanie was talking to Baron Corbin. "I'm about to clean up and head out for a beer. You wanna come with?"

"Nah. I'm no good to anyone tonight," Seth told him honestly. "I'm just gonna head back to the hotel."

"Alone?" Roman asked. Seth shrugged.

"I think that's what I need to be right now." He looked between Finn and Roman. "See you guys tomorrow." Finn and Roman watched Seth walk away, disappearing down the hall with a small limp in his step. Roman sighed. Sooner or later, something was going to give in Seth's world, and he wasn't sure what was going to go down in flames.

* * *

 _I know you're angry at me, but can I see you? Please?_

Sitting on her bed in her hotel room, Jory stared down at the message on her phone and sighed. There was a part of her that wanted to answer him and tell him to go to hell after the way he had behaved on Monday, the way he had been sticking to his guns that _she_ needed to apologize. She wanted to tell him how to get there because he had accused her of breaching their relationship by spilling details about him to his colleagues. They had seen each other here and there during the show, but neither side made any effort to approach.

A bigger part of Jory wanted to let him sweat out her anger a little more, let him wallow in his misery alone since he seemed to be so against spending any kind of time with her. She had stood with Renee at the interview area and watched the match, felt the pang in her chest when the referee's hand went down for the three count. If there was anything that Seth loved, it was being champion. Losing to Eric was devastating, she knew. Renee had tried to talk her into going to Seth, to comfort him, but Jory wasn't having it. She was tired of being the scapegoat, of being the whipping post whenever something went wrong in his life. She wasn't going to put herself out to be embarrassed for the third time at her job. Instead, she'd retreated back to the women's locker room, eager to stay out of his sight.

She did feel sorry for him. Jory hated to see him so shaken. But she was still upset.

On the other side of the spectrum, every time she had crossed paths with Baron backstage - even after her attack on Alexa had made the rounds - he had been armed and ready with an apology for her, and it was always in front of other people. By the end of the show, she had begged him to stop apologizing, and Baron had given her one more before promising to stop. She couldn't understand why Seth couldn't do the same.

Jory wasn't even upset at Seth for being overprotective on Monday, though his selective approach to caring about her well-being was beginning to wear on her last nerve. No, what had really pissed her off was his attempt to tell her who she could and couldn't see at work. His accusation that she was telling Baron about their sex life still had her seething with rage. Every message he'd sent her had no apology, no reference to what had happened on Monday; it was almost as if he was trying to pretend it didn't happen, so they could go on and be happy like nothing was wrong. But the truth was, since Sanity's arrival, Seth's confidence had taken a beating, and he was taking that out on their relationship. She wasn't sure how much longer they could last like this...

"Seth?"

Jory looked up to see Nia emerge from the bathroom, changed into a pair of camouflage pajama shorts and a black tank top. She was drying her hair with a towel. Jory nodded. "Yeah. He's asking if I'll go see him."

"Are you going to?" Nia asked. Jory sighed.

"I don't know. I kind of don't want to be the whipping post because he lost," Jory answered.

Nia opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of Jory's phone ringing made everything screech to a halt. "Is it Seth?" Nia asked. Jory looked down at the number and she nodded.

"Yeah. What do you think I should do?"

"Talk to him. I mean, he needs somebody right now."

With an irritated grunt, knowing that Nia was right, Jory answered the phone. Nia noticed right away, however, that Jory didn't even try to fake being happy. "Yeah?"

"Hey. Did you get my message?"

"I did."

"Can I see you? Please?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea..." she trailed off with a sigh.

"Please."

She sighed. "Fine. Tell me where you are, and I'll be there soon." On the other side of the bed, Nia was smiling. Jory shot her a glare. She listened to Seth tell her where he was staying and she nodded. "See you soon." She hung up the phone and shoved it into her pocket.

"I won't wait up..." Nia teased.

"Don't start," Jory said with a roll of her eyes. She looked over at Nia. "I'll see you later."

"Might wanna take something so you don't have to do the walk of shame tomorrow," Nia called out.

"You're the worst." With that, she slid on her black flats, slid the key-card into another pocket, and left the room.

* * *

"Oh...oh my God. Fuck, Seth!"

Lying on his back, one arm rested behind his head, the other on Jory's naked hip, Seth looked up at her, taking in every detail of her naked body in the moonlight that came through the slats in the blinds. Her hips ground against him slowly, her hands on his chest, her fingers curling into the solid skin. Her ponytail swung from side to side as she moved, alternating between up, down, and side to side.

None of this had been her intention. She had shown up at his hotel room believing that all of this was a horrible idea. Her plan was to stay for about a half-hour and head back to Nia to spend the rest of her night fighting off all the insinuations and innuendos her mind could come up with. But Seth had been on her from the minute he answered the door, grabbing her by the forearm and pulling her inside the room, shoving her up against the door. The anger and apathy she'd arrived with quickly dissipated with a searing kiss, and while he worked on every spot he knew would make her weak and leave her a shivering mess, she hated herself for falling into it. But she needed this, too. It had felt like forever.

"You feel good," he told her, his hand moving from around his head to her other hip. "I've missed you. So much."

The words made her heart flutter. He began to thrust up into her harshly, her breathy sighs and soft moans becoming loud cries in the quiet hotel room. Her body collapsed onto him, and he wrapped his arms around her, pushing her against him. Hearing her in his ear sent a flash of heat through him. "Jory..."

She shifted, and his mouth was over hers in a kiss so explosive, it left her breathless. Their movements became erratic, their bodies colliding almost painfully against each other. Then, Jory was screaming, Seth swallowing her cries before he rolled her onto her back and began thrusting wildly. His lips were all over her exposed skin, each hard thrust sending shock-waves through her oversensitive body. "I'm so sorry," he murmured in her ear, sucking her earlobe into his mouth. "I'm so, so, sorry," he repeated between kisses to her neck. He felt her fingers curl into his shoulders and her body begin to tense. Seth could feel himself getting close to the edge with her, and he picked up the speed and the power of his movements, the two of them groaning loudly as Seth fell over, spilling into her. He burrowed his head into her neck, peppering the skin with soft kisses as the two of them came down from an intense high.

He rolled off her, shifting so he was on his side so he could look at her. With how horrible things had been between the two of them, he couldn't help but think that it was the first time in weeks that he'd seen her happy. He committed every detail of the moment to memory. Noting her shiver, he shifted, pulling the white comforter over her bosom. She looked over at him, but he couldn't place any of the emotions in her eyes.

Seth knew that make-up sex wasn't going to be a sufficient apology. With six days removed from Monday and a devastating loss, he knew that he was going to have to swallow what was left of his pride and apologize. The reality was that he'd missed her. He'd grown used to her presence, comforted with the knowledge that she was around when he needed her. For the last six days, during the insanity that was _SummerSlam_ week, not having her around had been incredibly difficult. For six days, he wondered if he should have followed Roman's advice. Six days didn't seem to cool her down.

"This doesn't fix anything," she told him softly. "It's not really even a start."

"I know." She looked at him now, studying his face intently. "I've been fucking up. A lot. I know it's not a good excuse, but I've been more inside my own head than usual. I just...I don't know what to do anymore. But I know that it has really sucked not having you around."

"I've missed you," she confessed after a moment of silence. "But you were out of line Monday."

"Jory..."

"No." She sat up, holding the blanket over her breasts. "I don't know what bothers me more, Seth – your accusation that I talk about... _this_...or you trying to dictate who I hang out with." She sighed. "I know you've been under a lot. I know you've been struggling. But you've been taking it out on me _so much_ , and I don't know what to do here, Seth. Am I making a mistake here? Have we been making a mistake? I mean, was fighting The Authority all we had?"

"Of course not," Seth told her. Her talk of mistakes made his nerves jolt, left him with a pang of fear in his chest. "I don't think this is a mistake, Jory. Not at all. I know there isn't enough of an apology I can give you. Just...I'll work at it. I know that we've been having a rough patch, but we'll get through this. And we'll do it together."

She looked at him. "Seth..."

"Don't give up on us," he pleaded. "Please. Stay with me."

Jory looked into his eyes. The truth was, as upset as he had been making her, as much as he had been hurting her, she wasn't ready to let him go. She cared about him. It killed her to see him struggling so much. It hurt her to see him struggle with his confidence. Jory wished she could help him, and in her heart of hearts, she wanted to believe that things would get better.

So she stayed.


	9. Falling Behind

**Chapter 8:**

 **Falling Behind**

* * *

Alone in the General Manager's office, Baron Corbin sat back on the black leather sofa with his hands behind his head and his feet on the sturdy black coffee table. His small brown eyes took in every small detail around him, from the black desk set up in the corner with the Ergonomic chair to the television monitor and the shadowboxes of WWE merchandise adorning the walls, promoting everything from movies to magazine covers. On the far end of the room, on the standard tables that were set up, were platters of snack food, a way to keep Kurt and Baron from wandering around too much during the show. As Baron gazed around the room, he thought about what it would be like to be seen as more than a "Constable"; he wondered what it would be like to run the show on his own. He thought about how he would deal with the talents and the ring crew, how he would book matches and pay-per-view events. After spending the last few weeks of his life putting out every possible fire with the talents, Baron was beginning to believe that he could run the show better than Kurt ever could.

As someone who prided himself as a "Lone Wolf", dating back to his days in the NFL, Baron would be the first to admit that he was surprised by the thought of holding a management position. Six months ago, he never would have entertained the idea. But he liked _Raw_ ; he wasn't spinning his wheels on the red brand under Stephanie McMahon's purview the way that he had been under her brother's on the blue. With every week that passed, Stephanie made it clear that she was willing to put a lot of faith into him; all Baron wanted to do was prove to her that her faith in him wasn't misplaced. He wanted to make her proud.

Baron was dragged unwillingly out of his thoughts, the sound of knocking on the heavy grey door making him shift back into focus. Moving his feet off the table, Baron stood quickly, smoothing the imaginary wrinkles out of his black and gold vest. "Come on in!" he called out. "The door's open!"

The door swung open and he smiled when Jory walked into the room. It appeared to Baron that she had just arrived; she wasn't yet in her ring gear, and she hadn't yet been to hair and makeup. She was dressed in a pair of black leggings with Misfits skull logos on the knee and long black sweater that hung off her right shoulder, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Baron approached her, opening his arms to envelop her in a hug. "Hey!" he greeted. "Good to see you. What's up?"

"It's good to see you, too," she told him with a slight laugh. They pulled away from each other quickly, and Jory let her eyes shift around the office. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Is Kurt around? I ran into Fit when I got here, and he mentioned that Kurt wanted to see me about something. He said it was kind of important..."

"Kurt did want to see you," Baron confirmed, "but he's currently dealing with some pre-show issues at the moment. If you want, I can tell you all about it. I mean, it was _my_ idea anyway," Baron added proudly. Jory nodded. While she wasn't sure that Kurt would appreciate Baron speaking for him, she definitely didn't want to be stuck waiting around for Kurt until the last minute. She still had lots to do to get ready, and she needed to stop and see the match card and find her producer.

Jory watched Baron cross the room, noting newfound confidence in his step. She noted how high he held his head, how rigid his posture was, and the swagger in his step. The smirk at the corner of his mouth made her feel slightly uneasy, and she forced herself to dismiss it, telling herself internally that it was nothing more than a product of all the negative things Seth had been saying about Baron.

Leaning against the desk, Baron crossed his legs at the ankles and his arms over his chest. "You attacked Alexa last night." His tone wasn't accusatory, just a flat, general statement of facts. Jory nodded.

"I did." She sighed. "If the reason I am here is because my homework last night was to come up with a good excuse for why I did it, then we're wasting time - all I got is the bitch had it coming..." Baron raised his hand to silence her, bringing her defensiveness to a screeching halt.

"There's no excuses needed with me, Jory. You know that. We both know what Alexa has been doing to you for the last few weeks. You won't hear any argument from me that she had it coming." Jory nodded. "I'll admit it, though - she was calling for your head last night in the locker room. She kept begging us to fire you, or trade you, or do something that would get you out of her hair."

"Is that what this is about?" she asked. "Hunter and Stephanie's little princess has called for my head, so you're trading me to _SmackDown?"_

"What? No! Do you really think I'd let that happen? I actually kind of like having you around."

"That feels like an awfully backhanded compliment, but I'll take it," she answered. She crossed her arms over her chest. "So I'm not being traded. Why am I here, then? Am I being suspended?"

"Hardly. Tonight, you and Alexa are going to have a match against each other, and whoever wins is going to get a shot at the Women's Championship in the future." She stared at him, surprised by the announcement. Baron's smirk morphed into a smile at the expression on her face.

"You're kidding. And Kurt is okay with this?"

"Kurt is _more_ than okay with this," Baron confirmed. "It's like I told him last night - if we don't step in and do something about the two of you, then you guys are probably going to kill each other back here. We get better ratings if you do that out in the ring." She laughed. "I know how deeply intense and personal this rivalry is for the two of you, and at this rate, you're both going to become liabilities back here. So, we'll get you in the ring, make you guys work for something bigger, and let everyone benefit from this. Best for business, right?"

Those three words had the effect of making her nerves jolt. _He's Stephanie's student, all right_. The thought stunned her, but not as much as his use of her catchphrase did. Baron stared at her expectantly, and she realized he wanted her to say something. "I'm sorry. I...wow. I don't know what to say..."

"Thank you would be a good start."

Jory felt the air in the room shift. She laughed, a little uneasy. She wasn't sure if Baron picked up on her discomfort, or if he was joking or not. "Thank you," she told him quickly. "This is awesome."

"You're welcome. There's no one who deserves it more." He approached, giving her a hug. "Good luck out there tonight. I'm pulling for you."

"Um, thanks. I, uh, guess I should get going. Go get ready and limber. I guess I have a contender's spot to win." Jory tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She left the office, trying her best to keep herself stoic. It had been a long while since she held the Women's Championship; the idea of climbing to the top of the mountain once more filled her with a joy that she hadn't felt in a very long time. But her excitement was overshadowed by the strange vibe she had caught from Baron. She couldn't help but wonder if there was a power struggle on the horizon, one that would see the two men fighting for control of _Raw_.

* * *

Seth Rollins was not happy.

He would be the first to admit that ever since the arrival of Sanity, he had become a miserable prick to be around. Their attempts to get inside his head had been more than successful, and all it had done was led to him falling down his own rabbit hole of self-doubt and self-loathing. Seth would even freely admit that Jory had taken the brunt of his frustration and anger, that his attitude was probably a _huge_ reason why their lives were splitting into separate existences. It was a hard thing for him to do, to look in the mirror and admit that he was becoming his own worst enemy in his effort to turn the tide against the trio. It was a hard thing to do, admitting that he was the sole reason why nobody wanted to be around him. But nobody seemed to understand; his pride was on the line here. His back was against the wall, and it was a position that he hated.

His professional wrestling journey had started long before WWE, in armories and bingo halls in front of a handful of people. He'd kicked, clawed, scratched, and rattled every cage that he could to get his foot in the door at WWE, and he'd arrived to find that most of the guys in developmental with him were tall with long dark hair like him. So he'd dyed half his hair blond to set himself apart. When he'd debuted in NXT, he'd used his intuition, his knowledge, and his skill to become the first NXT Champion. When he, Dean, and Roman became The Shield, he used his experience and his intelligence to turn them into the most dominant faction WWE had seen in years. "The Architect" wasn't just a nickname for Seth to have printed on a bunch of T-shirts; it was a mindset, an attitude. It was who he was. And when Hunter came to Seth with his sweetheart deal, with his promises of making Seth WWE Champion and the face of the company, complete with his own protection, Seth had let his sense of greed and ambition cast aside the brotherhood he had formed to take what he felt was rightfully his.

But The Authority hadn't panned out. "Never Trust A McMahon" was an old WWE proverb, and he should have heeded the words. For the first time in his career, what he thought was a calculated risk on himself had blown up in his face. When that happened, when Hunter and Stephanie withdrew their support and the security detail of Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury, there was Jory.

Like an ethereal apparition, she had been there. She had once been like him, their shiny new toy, cast aside and rejected when they grew tired of her. She had been the forgotten, the rejected, the enemy. While she didn't speak of it with him, he'd heard stories about the abuse she'd suffered after Stephanie and Hunter cast her out of their group, of the indignities and the belligerent behaviors she had to face. She had good reason to hate and mistrust everyone around her. But, instead, she had seen him sinking, and she'd thrown him a lifeline he didn't realize he needed. Jory had opened her door, her fridge, and her heart to him, and never did she ask him for anything in return.

She was afraid, though, and he could tell. Seth was sure she wasn't afraid of _him_ , but there was something holding her back from being happy. It was a feeling he had in his bones, a feeling he thought he could see in her eyes sometimes. He presumed it was the fear she felt that had allowed a slimy, insipid sycophant like Baron Corbin to slide into her life so seamlessly under the guise of being her friend. For the life of him, Seth couldn't understand why Jory didn't see the "Constable" in the same light that he did. In his eyes, Baron was a yes-man who had no trouble using people and spitting them out if it meant he could get ahead. Professional wrestling was a cutthroat business on the best of days; Seth knew in management, the atmosphere had to be even worse. The last thing he wanted to see was Jory back where she started, under the thumb of a terrible boss with an agenda.

There were whispers about the three of them now, and Seth hated it. People looked at him differently, and they had since the fight with Baron and Jory in the medical room. People looked at him like he was abusive, like Jory needed to be rescued from him. People on Twitter openly questioned whether she was safe at home. The reality was that they were hardly seeing each other outside the ring; he had his school, and he was looking to open a new business in his hometown that wasn't wrestling related, while Jory was doing her own thing; whatever it was, she had quit telling Seth about it a long time ago.

Sitting alone in the back of the arena, trying to process the longest twenty-four hours of his life, Seth couldn't help but think about the night before, about the words she spoke as they were both coming down from their highs.

"This doesn't fix anything."

She was right, of course, but the truth was he didn't know where to begin fixing things. He couldn't even pinpoint when things started veering off the rails between the two of them. Was it when Baron started liking and commenting on her Instagram posts where she was in Seth's bed? Or was it when Sanity arrived, looking to make a name for themselves at Seth's expense? Or was it all related in a strange way that could only be seen as natural in the crazy world of professional wrestling?

Twenty-four hours before, Seth had lost the Intercontinental Championship to Eric Young. In hindsight, leaving things to fester between him and Jory for six days hadn't helped anything. He knew Roman was looking out for him, but in the end, he had lost anyway. Spending all of his time away from her preparing for the fight hadn't helped. Losing the Intercontinental Championship was devastating to his psyche; championships meant he had earned every nickname, every piece of merchandise, every video game appearance. It was validation for all the broken relationships the business had caused, validation for the long stretches away from his family and friends. He'd hoped to find comfort in the aftermath of _SummerSlam_ with Jory, but he was feeling like she was growing tired of him.

The whispers about her and Baron ate at him. He wasn't sure if he believed them entirely, but he wasn't around her as much as he used to be, so he couldn't speak to what she was doing. Baron and Jory always seemed to be hanging out together. He'd read about emotional cheating somewhere in a magazine while he was at some appointment for some injury, but Jory insisted that Baron's off-color quip about their sex life had been his and his alone, that she never spoke of their relationship to anyone. Renee and Nia confirmed that she keeps it tight-lipped, but was Baron the exception? Seth wasn't sure, and he hated that there was the cloud of doubt hanging over her. The fact that she openly refused his request to stay away from Baron only helped add fuel to the fire.

"Hey. There you are."

Seth looked up, and he had to blink. It was almost as if he had thought her into existence in front of him. She was in her ring gear, in shades of black, teal, and violet. Her hair was still pulled back in the ponytail she'd left the hotel in, and she wasn't wearing a stitch of makeup. He presumed she was on her way to get that taken care of. He looked at the black tape on her wrists, to match her black fingernails. "Hey," he greeted. "Did you find Kurt?"

"No," she answered honestly. "I found the other one."

"Oh."

"I saw you and Roman have Sanity again tonight in a handicap match." He nodded.

"At this rate, I'm never going to shake them off."

"There's always The Draft," she offered lamely. He shot her a look and she raised her hands. "Sorry."

"No, no. It's...it's fine." He slid off the trunk. Seth exhaled, running a hand through his hair. He studied her, really took in every detail. Seth was surprised to find a joyful glimmer in her eye, something he hadn't seen in a while. He felt a pang of jealousy inside his chest. "What's got you so happy?"

"Last minute change of plans. I'm on the card tonight. I've got Alexa."

"You're happy about that?"

"Yeah. I mean, I finally get my hands on her. Baron said that whoever wins tonight gets a shot at the Women's title down the line."

"That's great. Congratulations." Jory felt so small underneath his gaze. The tone of his voice felt flat in her ears. She felt like he wasn't happy at all with the idea of her becoming Women's Champion, and she felt guilty for saying anything; the last thing she wanted to do was rub it in Seth's face that she could potentially regain the Women's Championship while Seth was chasing after what he'd lost the night before. But she was also too giddy about the idea of being champion to keep quiet about it.

"Seth..."

"I'll catch you later. I've gotta find Roman. Good luck out there tonight. I'll be watching and rooting for you." He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and a pat on the shoulder before he left her. She turned, bemused, watching him until he disappeared.

She thought about the night before, how awkward things were quickly becoming between them. He didn't turn back to look at her. Instead of dwelling on it, she continued her journey towards hair and makeup. He had to get ready for his match, and she had to get ready for hers.

* * *

With Alexa's techno music still blaring through the arena speakers, Jory made her way through the black curtain into Gorilla with the assistance of referee John Cone. Everything ached from her head to her knees, but her top three injuries had to be the pain in her ribs, the burning sensation where Alexa's perfectly manicured nails had clawed her face, and the swollen, throbbing pain of her lip. Jory moved carefully, her limp, damp hair swinging slightly around her face with each move. She put her tongue through the hole in her lip and winced; she was going to have to get stitches.

When John's hand hit the canvas for the third time and the bell rang, Jory felt a sense of pure joy. Her momentum with the O'Connor Roll pin had been enough for her to secure the number one contender spot. After spinning her wheels following her victory over Stephanie, Jory couldn't believe that she was finally back in the race for the Women's Championship. Happy tears burst from her eyes as Jojo announced her the winner.

But her joy had been short-lived.

Furious and devastated that she had lost the match, Alexa attacked Jory while her back was turned. It was a violent, vicious attack, the kind that of ultra-violence that the two women seemed specialized in dealing out to each other, full of weapons, nails, hair-pulling, and choking. Jory was sure she was going to have a bruise across her neck in the morning from Alexa choking her on the ropes. Her throat burned; it hurt to talk. Jory had done everything in her power to fight back, but exhausted from the match and being attacked from behind had put her at too big a disadvantage to overcome. Alexa may have gotten the last word for the evening, but Jory promised herself that she would have the last laugh when she was holding the Women's Championship high above her head.

"Let's get you to the trainer," John said softly. "You need stitches."

Jory nodded. The joy of potentially being champion had hit the wall of humiliation and anger, leaving her feeling conflicted. As the duo made their way down the steps, into the backstage area, Jory wished that Seth was waiting for her. But she knew better; he had a match later on in the night, and he needed to focus on being Seth Rollins, Kingslayer. Selfishly, though, she needed him to hug her and tell her that she'd done a great job, and this was just a setback, but she'd get through it. She wanted the early days of their relationship, back when they had been bailing each other out of hospitals and traveling together belting out songs at the top of their lungs. The growing separation between them hurt, and while he promised her that things would get better, she couldn't help but notice that he wasn't all that happy to see her before her match. Bitterly, she thought about the tattoo on her side, about how magical that night had been. It felt like another lifetime ago.

Inside the trainer's office, Alicia Fox was icing her knee. She'd had a match earlier against a young NXT upstart named Aliyah, and she had tweaked her knee hitting her finisher. Alicia looked over as Jory sat down on the examination table. John left her and she lay back, ready to be stitched. The blood felt sticky on her chin and on her chest.

"Alexa beat your ass _again_?" Alicia asked, unable to keep the tinge of glee out of her voice. "All your _sucking_ up to the constable and you still couldn't walk out of the match on your own."

Jory blinked as one of the medics came through to prepare her for stitches. She wasn't stupid; she knew exactly what Alicia was implying, and she didn't like it. She didn't say a word about it. Instead, she stared up at the ceiling and wished she could be back at the hotel, curled up on the bed with Seth, eating a pint of ice cream to try and numb the pain in her lip. But Alicia wasn't finished with her. "You've been spinning your wheels like me since _WrestleMania_ , and yet here you are, the number one contender. It's been two _years_ since anyone's looked at me as a contender. Your bed must be so crowded..."

"Finish that sentence, and I'll drop you for her."

Jory's eyes shifted to see Bayley standing beside her, the usually cheerfully demeanor completely absent. Bayley was dressed in her purple and gold gear, with her "I'm A Hugger T-shirt cut into fringes along the sleeves and along the hem. She looked over at the tech. "I came to get a tensor bandage for Sasha."

"Right away, Bayley."

Alicia snorted. "This has nothing to do with you, Bayley..."

"You're wrong about that. Jory and Seth are my friends, and you owe Jory an apology."

Alicia openly laughed, a loud barking sound. "Like _that's_ gonna happen. Aren't you even curious about _why_ our management is always all over her?"

"You don't know what you're talking about. Jory _earned_ her spot. And since you don't want to apologize? I'll tell you what – next week, you go find yourself a partner. Meet us out in the ring, and Jory and I will _beat_ an apology out of you." The entire time the two women bickered, Jory was uncomfortable with the hands in her mouth.

Alicia was off the trainer's table, eyes narrowed into slits. "You know what? Why don't we just do that? How about we sweeten the deal? If I win, I get her spot. I want her spot. I agree to nothing until she puts it up."

Bayley looked down at Jory. With a sigh, Jory gave Bayley a thumbs up; anything to get Alicia out of the room, and out of her hair for the rest of the night. Jory's flame was burning dangerously low; she wasn't sure how much more she could take this evening. All she wanted to do was leave. All she wanted was Seth.

But he wasn't around.

"You're on," Bayley told her.

"Great," Alicia told her mockingly. She threw the ice bag at Jory's prone body. It hit her stomach with a rough sound and Jory's body contorted, an ugly, deep sound escaping her lips. The medics were on Alicia immediately, directing her out of the room.

"Enjoy your victory while you have it, Jory. After I beat you next week, you'll be back to changing in cars and locking up your bags." Bayley's fists were clenched at her sides. Alicia was finally ushered out the door. Jory shut her eyes and huffed.

She was done. So, so done.

* * *

All seemed lost.

Even with WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns standing behind him to watch his back, Sanity still proved to be more than Seth Rollins could handle. The sight of Eric Young walking down to the ring with the Intercontinental Championship around his waist made him angrier than Seth could articulate. He watched Eric walk down to the ring, half of his face covered, his shoulders drawn back, with a swagger in his step that could have rivaled Vince McMahon's. As they made their way to the ring, Seth vowed to himself that he would not rest until the Intercontinental Championship was where it belonged, back around his waist.

Standing in the middle of the ring, both exhausted and pushed to their limits, Seth and Roman armed themselves with steel chairs to keep the men on the other side of the ropes at bay. The match was over, thrown out when Killian and Alexander had introduced steel chairs to the equation. It had taken everything within Seth and Roman to fight back the onslaught, but once they got their hands on the chairs, Sanity was gone in the blink of an eye, out of the ring to regroup and rethink their strategy moving forward. Somehow, some way, Roman and Seth were still standing. How, Seth didn't know.

The duo exchanged a brief, fleeting glance with each other, the two of them wordlessly assessing their perilous situation. They were both hurt and tired, and everyone knew it. There was the two of them to the three men outside, and while they had chairs, the trio stood in front of the ring apron, where plenty of weapons were stored.

They were at an impasse. Seth's eyes darted between the three, eyes locking on the manic, crazed eyes of their leader. Seth crinkled his face; he'd had about enough of Sanity, enough of their mind games and vicious assaults, enough of all the problems that had sprouted in Seth's life, problems he could tie to their arrival on the main roster.

"You ready for this?" Roman asked, eyes focused on Killian.

"You know me, brother – I was born ready."

Before they could make their move, familiar music hit the speakers and the crowd came _unglued_. Seth and Roman's stances straightened, the chairs still in their hands. They looked up on the stage, just as bewildered as the trio outside. Seth's eyes were wide, Roman's mouth pulled back into a smug smile. While they knew Dean was set to come back to the company any time, they had no idea that he was even in the area, or that he had even been cleared.

Outside the ring, Sanity had their attention diverted to the stage, waiting for Dean to walk through with that patented swagger. Eric's eyes scanned the immediate area for any sign of the man who was seen as the king of the lunatics. His senses felt heightened; he was primed and ready to attack the moment he saw Dean emerge.

But he didn't come out.

The roar of the crowd dulled to a chatter the longer the music played. Seth and Roman exchanged another puzzled glance at each other. Seth turned, eyes scanning the area, his eyes locking on the figure in black running towards the ring from the crowd. The chatter quickly turned back into a loud cheer. Seth gave Roman a pat on the shoulder. "Incoming. Out of the way!"

Both men parted like the Red Sea as Dean slid into the ring, his trademark wild hair replaced by a sheared haircut. On his feet quickly, Dean bolted past the men, diving through the middle rope, landing on all three men. All four went down in a messy heap, Dean's fists flying, hitting everything and anything he could get his hands on before they had even hit the ground.

Inside the ring, Seth shook his head, amusement glimmering in his brown eyes. Turning his head, he spotted Roman leaned against the top rope, openly laughing. Seth approached, chair still in hand. "Looks like he's back," Seth replied with a grin. Roman snickered.

"Crazy bastard." He shook his head and held up his chair. "What do you say? Should we go out there and give a brother a hand?"

Seth held up his chair and nodded. "Sounds like the best plan I've heard all night."

* * *

"Dude, that was fucking _awesome_!" Seth exclaimed as the trio burst through the black curtain, into Gorilla. Seth had his arms around the shoulders of Roman and Dean, the three men laughing and smiling in spite of the soreness that racked their bodies. Dean's surprise ambush had effectively turned the tides; as Sanity retreated up the ramp, the trio had stood at the bottom, their fists out. It was official; The Shield had reunited.

Seth removed his arms from around the guys, taking his place in the middle of them. "You know about this, Roman?" he asked, cocking his head in Dean's direction. Roman looked over at the eccentric Superstar and shook his head.

"Nah, not at all. Way to give us the head's up, Ambrose," Roman told him with a smirk. Dean shrugged.

"You know me – it's all about the element of surprise."

The trio walked through the black curtain, Dean coming off the bottom step with a jump. He moved with his trademark swagger, the smile on his face wide. After sitting on the sidelines for almost a year, Dean was happy to be back on the road, doing what he loved. He missed seeing his wife every day, missed hanging with Roman. Sitting at home had been a novelty for the first couple of days, but after a few weeks, all he wanted to do was get back in the gym, back in the ring, back to the life he had before his triceps exploded on him. Sure, he hadn't thought about making up with Seth and reforming The Shield, but watching Sanity beat up his brothers week after week told him that it was time to put his differences with Seth aside for the greater good.

"I think we need to go out and celebrate tonight," Roman pitched. "We owe this guy a beer."

"Fucking rights," Dean echoed. He gave Seth an absent slap on the chest. "What do you say? You coming out? We'll do it up, just like old times."

Seth nodded right away. "Hell yeah. I think that sounds like a great idea," Seth told them. "I'm just going to shower and clean up and then we can head out. You guys wanna meet in the parking lot?"

"Works for me," Dean said with a shrug.

"Great." Seth slapped hands with Roman and Dean. "See you guys in a bit."

Seth left the men in the hallway, walking briskly towards the locker room. After the night he had, a beer with his brothers sounded like the best plan. He wasn't sure if it meant that Dean had forgiven him for that terrible night so many years ago, but he was willing to take whatever Dean would give him, and hope that their friendship would repair itself over time. Seth knew there was nothing he could do to make up for what he had done, but the past was in the past.

Turning the corner, Seth found Jory sitting on a trunk, talking with Bayley. His eyes narrowed; there was slight bruising around her neck, and her lip was swollen. He approached, and their conversation died as the women turned to Seth. Bayley smiled at him, her brown eyes lighting up. She gave him a hug. "Hey! Great stuff out there!"

"Thanks."

Bayley looked between the two of them and turned her attention to Jory. "I've gotta go. Sasha's probably waiting for me to go." She gave Jory a hug. "Chin up. There's always next week."

"Thanks, Bayley," Jory offered softly. "For everything."

"Don't even worry about it. It's what friends are for." She pulled back. Turning to Seth, she shot him one last smile. "Have a good night," she told Seth as she walked past him. Seth couldn't take his eyes off Jory's lip. The swelling was incredible, and he couldn't imagine how awful and uncomfortable the stitches felt in her lip.

"Holy shit, what the hell happened to you?" he asked. Her gaze shifted to him.

"Bliss." Her lip was so swollen she spoke with a lisp.

"I should have guessed." Jory looked over at him, took in his relaxed and happy demeanor.

"Are you ready to go? I could go grab my stuff if you are. I'm so ready to..."

"Actually, you're going to have to go on without me," he told her. Jory shot him a look, unable to keep the disappointment off her face. Seth didn't seem to notice. "I don't know if you saw, but Dean's back, and Rome and I kind of owe him a beer for saving our asses out there tonight. So I'm just gonna run out and have a drink with the guys, and then I'll meet you back at the hotel, okay?"

Jory took a deep breath and nodded, sliding herself off the trunk. "Sounds great. Have fun."

She didn't approach to embrace him, didn't congratulate him on the reunion of The Shield. Instead, she turned and left, eager to gather her things and leave. She shook her head, walking away from Seth, who watched her, bewildered. Jory disappeared from his sight quickly, never turning back to look at him. After a brief moment, Seth shook his head, shook out the negative thoughts that threatened to derail his night. He was off to celebrate with his brothers, and it was his chance to formally make amends with Dean. Turning, he went the opposite direction of Jory, towards his locker room, stopping only momentarily to chat with Finn Balor.


	10. Turn, Turn, Turn

**Chapter 9:**

 **Turn, Turn, Turn**

* * *

Whenever WWE sent their camera crews to interview the parents of their Superstars, a familiar pattern always emerged in their storytelling. Every parent spoken to painted a similar picture of a child destined for fame and stardom. In front of the camera crews, they would reminisce about their charismatic children who always had to be the center of attention, children who were bold and athletic, and willing to do whatever it took to make their dreams come true. They talked about their athletic achievements, about their love for professional wrestling growing up. It was a familiar beat, hit every single time by every single parent.

Jordana Marie Moody had grown up a professional wrestling fan during the major business boom of the Attitude Era. She'd loved every woman in the company, from Chyna to Sable to Lita and Trish. As a little girl, pro wrestling had been the one thing that bonded her with her grandfather. It became a routine for her to go to his home every Monday night for _Raw_ , and then, starting in 1999, Thursday night for _SmackDown_. For her birthday one year, her grandfather had surprised her with tickets to _WrestleMania 22_. It was the last major outing she'd had with her grandfather before a heart attack claimed him the following year. Paul couldn't help but wonder if the show, coupled with his death, had made her decide to go down the path of becoming a wrestler. Until she'd started training, he'd never heard a word about her wanting to do it; her announcement had completely blindsided the family – they had wanted her to go to college and get a degree.

As a child, Jory had been shy and precocious, a far cry from the other children who grew up to become WWE Superstars. Growing up, her sister Allison had been the outgoing personality; she'd completely overshadowed Jory, who never seemed to mind flying underneath the radar. As a teenager, Jory had been a tomboy, always dressed in baggy clothes and running shoes. After she had been signed to WWE, she'd confided to her dad that she taught herself how to walk in high heels, since it seemed to be the only kind of shoes the women wore.

When she'd announced that she had joined a wrestling school, it had caught everyone by surprise. As her father, all he wanted was for her to be happy and successful, and he was more than willing to throw his support behind her. His wife had done the same; the only one who thought it was a stupid endeavor had been Allison. He'd been there for her first match; he even insisted on buying her first pair of wrestling boots.

It wasn't long after she had graduated wrestling school that WWE had come knocking, and it had caught everyone by surprise. Hunter had sent some scouts to a show she had been involved in, and it wasn't long after that she received the call about reporting to the Performance Center for a tryout. She'd been scared to death, but she'd aced her tryout, just like he knew she would. After getting offered a contract, she was hit with the shock of having to relocate to Orlando. She didn't want to leave Chicago; she didn't want to leave her father. Her mother had just died, and he was trying to navigate life without her. Jory had been worried to leave him behind, but he'd talked her into going; the last thing he wanted was for her to give up something she'd worked so hard for. After they talked, she'd packed up her belongings and moved to Florida, promising to be back as quickly as she could. For the first while in NXT, she'd been roommates with Bayley, who helped her navigate WWE life.

While Paul couldn't be in Florida for her first match with WWE, he couldn't describe the pride he'd felt watching his daughter on TV. Every day, after dinner, she called him without fail to check in. At first, she'd been so happy; their talks were brimming with the wide-eyed wonder of a girl exploring a brand-new world. He'd been so thankful to Bayley for helping her through, and for standing by her when everything had blown up in her face.

She had been so excited about all the attention Hunter and Stephanie McMahon were lavishing on her. Almost right away she'd been moved from NXT to the main roster; she'd never appeared on NXT TV. Every opportunity she had, Jory took the time to pick their brains for every ounce of information she could obtain. They had been all too happy to cater to her desire for knowledge for a little while, but then little situations had come up. The breast implant situation had been a surprise to Paul; Jory had been able to explain that as wanting to look good on television. For a while, she'd done everything in her power to keep the rosy picture of life in the WWE for her father; she still couldn't tell him about the coercion and threats that came with the breast implants. Dyeing her hair blonde had been a shock to him; when he'd asked her about it, she'd told him that it was something Hunter wanted her to try out, and she trusted his vision. It hadn't suited her; he couldn't get used to seeing her blonde.

He started noticing there was a problem around the time Hunter and Stephanie decided they had an issue with Daniel Bryan and his wife. Jory's morale had taken a hit, and for a while, watching her play the role of Hunter and Stephanie's mercenary made him wonder what kind of daughter he had raised. He did his best not to judge her when she phoned; at that point, she was absolutely miserable.

As hard as it had been to see her publicly betrayed and humiliated on live TV, Paul had been relieved when The Authority cut Jory loose. She was morphing into a person she didn't recognize, and they were both unhappy with that development. Since then, it's been a bumpy road – things still weren't quite where she wanted them to be – but they would both agree that she was far better off out of the clutches of The Authority. For a while, she'd sold her soul, but some way, somehow, she'd managed to get it back.

"You should be relaxing – you're injured..." he started, but Jory cut him off with a shrug. Lately, it wasn't a surprise for her to come over to his home sporting new, violent injuries. This time around was bruising on her neck and stitches in her lip. Alexa Bliss seemed like a small, annoying little gnat, the Mean Girl stereotype personified with her dip-dyed bleached blonde hair and heavy makeup, but he was learning that she wasn't one to be dismissed. The injuries she had inflicted on his daughter told him that she was dangerous, that her viciousness more than made up for her short stature.

"It's a little bit of bruising and a split lip – not even in the top five worst injuries I've ever had," she reminded him. He moved quickly to help her off the stepladder. Taking a step back, she put her hands on her hips and studied the painting. They both stared at it in silence for a few moments. Paul cleared his throat.

"Jory..."

"Perfect. Once again, you were right – this is the perfect spot for it." They turned to stare at the dining room. Paul wished she would have bought herself a house first, instead of worrying about him, but ever since her mother died, Jory's only concern seemed to be making sure he had everything he needed, especially since Allison moved to Marble Falls. Even with a busy career that never saw Jory in the same place for longer than a day or two, her biggest concern was making sure her father was taken care of. He looked at her, taking in the bruise on the side of her neck, in the shape of a ring rope. She was never a girl who liked to wear turtlenecks.

"I'm thinking about asking Tabitha to move in with me," he blurted. She looked over at him.

"You think you guys are ready for that?" she asked. He shrugged.

"It'd be nice to have someone else in this house with me," he confessed. "Things are going well...it just feels like now would be a good time. It'll take some of the pressure off you..."

"There's no pressure on me, Daddy. Please don't think that," she told him.

"You're allowed to have your own life when you aren't on the road. You have such little time to yourself as it is," he told her. She flashed him a smile.

"You aren't cutting into my time if that's what you're thinking. It's always nice to come home. Even if you can't cook," she joked, nudging him softly with her elbow.

"Tabitha's signed me up for some classes. I start next week," he told her. She shot him a surprised look. "It's a couples class. Maybe when I finally get unpacked, you and Seth can come over for dinner. If you're so worried about my cooking, I'll even order out so I don't poison him." He gave her a nudge but was surprised to find that she kind of sagged at the mention of his name. He cocked an eyebrow at the wistful smile. "Did I miss a memo or something? Have you two broken up or something?"

"No, no. Nothing like that," she assured him.

"Jory..."

"We're still together. We're just..." She sighed, and he could almost see the thoughts trying to form inside her head. "We're being pulled in a few different directions lately. We're not seeing each other as much as we used to."

"Having trouble finding that work-life balance, are you?"

"There is no balance in WWE, Daddy. Work _is_ life." She crossed her arms over her chest. "But between our ambitions, there's also Seth's school and the other business he's looking into starting up. There's just...there's a lot going on right now. I can tell, because I'm basically falling apart at the seams, and he's too busy to notice."

"You love him."

"Yeah, I do." There was so much more she wanted to say about that, he could tell, but she wasn't about to spill her guts. "The kicker is I can't seem to find a good time to tell him."

"You'll know when," he told her, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You two seem to have a good thing going; you'll know when the moment's right."

Her smile was tight, but she nodded. Paul smiled at his daughter. "How about I make some coffee, and then we can figure out where we're going to put your car models?"

"That sounds like a plan. We need to find a place where I won't have to move them if Tabby moves in." With a smile, Jory walked into the kitchen, her father close behind. While some children would be put off by the idea of their parents getting back into the dating game again, Jory was happy that her father had stepped back into the land of the living, happy that he was finally content with his life.

* * *

Seth couldn't help but get the feeling like his personal life was snowballing out of control.

He hadn't heard a word from Jory since she got home; as he watched his students run drills, Seth realized that it had been a long time since either of them had communicated with one another when they were off the road. He'd shouted out commands and critiques to the students, shouting louder than the thoughts in his head asking him if she was sending text messages and calling Baron while she was at home. He'd shouted over the thoughts reminding him that she wasn't backing away from her friendship with him, even though he'd told her to. Telling her to stay away from Baron had been an enormous mistake, even if he'd had the best of intentions behind it. He didn't trust Baron Corbin or his intentions. The last thing he wanted to see was Jory end up back in a bad situation. She was too good for that.

She had taken his request as a sign of being a controlling boyfriend, as opposed to him being protective, and Seth wasn't sure how he felt about that. Jory was her own woman; he respected that, but she was being naive when it came to Baron. The man was working in close quarters with Stephanie McMahon; how could she trust him? He hated that he was questioning Jory and her intentions, when only a few months before he had trusted her completely with his life. He still trusted her with his life. But something had changed. Seth wasn't sure he could pinpoint the moment where their tensions had begun, but he saw Baron Corbin as the maestro.

With class finished for the day, Seth sat in his office, leaned back against his chair, thinking about what he wanted to do. Bogging himself down with business plans and pitches didn't tickle his fancy at the moment; he'd spent _weeks_ poring over all kinds of paperwork and lease agreements. He didn't think his brain could grasp anything more at the moment; it felt full to capacity. Moving from side to side in the wheeled chair, he looked at his phone on the desk, dozens of thoughts rolling inside his head. After a few minutes, he picked up the phone and scrolled through his contacts, hitting the call button. It was two rings before he heard a welcome voice on the other end.

"Hey."

"Hey. How's it going?"

"Not too bad. Helping Daddy get his house decorated today."

"How's that going?"

"Good. Ask me again when I start figuring out where we're putting his model car collection." Seth laughed. "How are you? You still at the school?"

"You know me too well."

"I do." There was a pause. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering what you were up to tonight. I know you're like a three-hour drive away, but do you want to meet up for dinner? You can come out here, or I can come out there, or we can meet halfway..." Seth felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach, and he was caught by surprise at the nervousness he felt. There was a fleeting thought inside his head that she would reject him, given the current state their relationship seemed to be in.

"Sounds perfect. I wanted to take a drive with the top down later, so I can come and see you. I'll probably be there at five or six, though. I still need to go home and clean up."

"You don't have to get all fancy to see me," he told her with a smile.

"There's no fixing this mess right now," she confessed with a sigh. "Alexa effectively messed me up."

"She'll have to try harder – you're still beautiful."

"You always know the right things to say," she teased.

 _Yeah, fucking right,_ Seth thought derisively, but he let her attempt at humor slide. "Great. So, I'll see you later?"

"I'll see you later, Seth." He felt like there was more she wanted to say, but instead, they said their goodbyes and hung up. Seth put the phone down on his desk and sighed. He wanted to fix things with Jory, more than anything in the world. He just wasn't sure where to start.

* * *

"I'm so sorry. There's no fixing... _this_...right now."

The apology was falling from her lips the moment Seth opened the door. Taking his girlfriend on the other side, Seth was hit with the realization that he had underestimated just how vicious Alexa's attack had been. The thick rope-shaped bruise around her neck was a rich, garish mixture of black, purple, and blue. The stitches in her lip were black and stiff, a small piece of loose thread jutting out of her lip. The dress she wore was short and black, the skirt flared out at the hip. A simple silver locket and ballet flats completed her look. Her hands were clasped in front of her to keep herself from fidgeting, and Seth realized that she was feeling self-conscious.

"What? You look fine," he assured her, but they were both aware of how hollow his words sounded. Instead of saying anything else, he stepped over the threshold with open arms, pulling her into him so their chests were crushed together. She hugged him, her eyes closing as her head rested against his chest. Seth was taken aback by the strength behind Jory's embrace; it felt like she didn't plan on letting him go. "She really messed you up, huh?"

"It looks worse than it feels," she confessed. "At least my lip is a normal size now."

He pulled back. "Did you just want to stay in tonight? I can order something in if you feel like hanging back..." He trailed off, but Jory understood what he was getting at – he wanted to spare both of them the stares and side-eyes that would come with a woman in her state. She already knew all about the stares, because she'd received them ever since the bruising made its presence known. Jory could only imagine the stares Seth would get just for being with her.

She sighed. "Is that okay? We can go out if you have your heart set on it."

"Nah – a quiet night with my girl is all I want."

Jory felt her heart flutter at the words 'my girl'. He stepped to the side so she could walk inside. He watched her, observing the way her dress fit, the way her skirt moved around her legs with every step. He followed her inside, shutting the door and locking it behind him. Jory made a beeline to the fridge to get herself a bottle of water.

"Any idea what you want to order?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I'm up for whatever," she replied, unscrewing the cap and taking a big sip. Seth joined her in the kitchen.

"If you need it, I got some Advil in the bathroom," he told her. He reached out, his fingers soft on her jaw.

"I promise it's not as bad as it looks. It's more awkward with the stitches than anything else." They fell quiet. She smiled. "You can kiss me. Nothing hurts worse than my pride."

Seth laughed, leaning in and giving her a quick kiss on the lips. His expression changed when he saw her wince at the soft contact. "Jory..."

"I'm fine. I promise. It's just...uncomfortable." She sighed, taking a sip of her water. "I feel like I'm falling apart at the seams," she confessed ruefully.

"You're not falling apart – Alexa's ripping you apart," he corrected. He shook his head, his gaze falling to the long scar that ran up her forearm. He still remembered that night vividly, remembered getting to the hospital and finding out that Jory hated needles. Learning about her past with Alexa had been a revelation; he knew their animosity ran deep because of Hunter and Stephanie. Talking it out seemed to be out of the question at this point; the women had done far too much to one another to even entertain the thought of civility.

"I'll get her back. Some way, somehow," she said with a shrug. She took another sip of water. "I don't want to talk about work, though." Reaching out, she hooked her fingers through the loops of Seth's jeans and pulled him forward. "I'm here to see you."

"Chinese sound good? I can run out and pick you up a bottle of wine before it gets here," he offered.

"After the last couple days, a bottle of wine sounds good," she confessed. "You don't have to run out on my account, though, Seth..."

"It's no trouble. While I'm doing that, you can find something to watch."

"Sounds good." Seth was aware of her thumbs rubbing on his hips. "I take it you know a good place that delivers?"

"Of course. I'll give them a call if you want to get yourself settled." She nodded, taking a sip of her water.

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

"So...Parkway Drive is coming to Chicago during our winter break."

"You're kidding."

With the sun long gone behind the horizon, Jory and Seth were cuddled together on the couch underneath a throw blanket, Jory's head rested on his chest. The coffee table was littered with wine and Chinese food, the two of them currently feeling too full to get up and straighten up. With her head on his chest and her arm around his waist, Seth realized that he missed these little moments with her. Underneath his arm, she felt _right_ , and somewhere in the past few months, he'd forgotten all about it. He'd forgotten about their fight together, how they had found each other during dark periods of their lives. _You always were self-centered,_ he thought to himself, looking down at the top of her head. He ran his hand through her hair, and she almost purred.

"No. I saw it on Facebook this morning. Did you want me to pick up tickets?"

"Let me think about – fuck yes," he told her. "It's been a while since we had a night out."

"I'll pick up the tickets when they go on sale," she said. Stretching, she yawned and burrowed into him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Good. I don't want to move."

"I don't want you to move," he told her. There was a beat between them. "You should stay tonight."

Curling into him even more, she smiled. "I think I should, too."

Seth smiled, his attention falling back on the movie. Maybe...just maybe...he hadn't completely blown things with her after all.


	11. Suspicious Minds

**Chapter 10:**

 **Suspicious Minds**

* * *

Dressed in black slacks with a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbows and the top two buttons undone, Baron Corbin leaned against the wall of the Bankers Life Fieldhouse Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana. Before the show was set to go on the air, he was taking a few minutes to talk about new music with Corey Graves. The show was set to begin in a few hours, and the air both inside and outside the building was positively electric, thanks in large part to the reunion of The Shield the week before. The brass had already rolled out brand-new T-shirts that promised to sell out quickly at the merchandise stand. The anticipation of Sanity meeting the reformed Shield for the first time was at a fever pitch.

Earlier in the week, Baron had seen on Twitter that Eric Young had requested a six-man tag team match against The Shield at _Hell in a Cell_. Sanity wanted a no disqualification match show they could show the WWE Universe "their brand of chaos." Baron had quietly seethed while Kurt tweeted back at the team that he would think about it and get back to them at _Raw_. However, Stephanie McMahon pulled Kurt from the show at the last minute, putting him on the company jet to take an emergency meeting at the headquarters in Stamford. Baron was once again in charge of the show tonight, and he had to admit that he liked that Stephanie was trusting him enough to leave him with their biggest show. More and more he thought about what it would be like to be the permanent General Manager, to mold and shape the show into his vision.

While most of the fans in the stands and the people backstage were excited to see the trio of Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins back on the same page, Baron Corbin _hated_ it. His patience with the trio was at its all-time lowest. Out of the three, he'd admit freely that he hated Seth Rollins the most, however. There wasn't a thing he liked about Seth. He hated Seth's smug smile and his stupid laugh. He hated Seth's taste in music, his ring gear, and his entrance music. As far as he was concerned - and he would tell anyone who would listen - Seth Rollins was a man who possessed no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He couldn't figure out how Seth could land a woman like Jordana Moody. He wanted to know what kind of spell he cast on her; she seemed too smart to put up with him.

His gaze shifted past Corey, to the woman he'd been thinking about. Jory walked down the hallway, dragging her suitcase behind her. Unlike the other women backstage, Jory didn't pay out thousands of dollars for Louis Vuitton suitcases. While some presumed it was because her stuff was always getting damaged, Baron knew that the designer labels just didn't appeal to her. She made a WWE Superstar salary, but she was almost always in T-shirts, jeans and running shoes when she wasn't in the ring or forced to adhere to the business casual dress code. He watched her move with confidence, her head up and shoulders back, her long ponytail swinging from side to side as she moved, greeting everyone she saw with smiles and kind words. She was dressed in a black V-neck shirt that revealed a hint of cleavage underneath a black and white blazer and tight, dark blue jeans. Knee-high black boots completed her look. As he watched her beaming, feeling the radiance of her smile, he thought back to the night he'd incensed Seth in the trainer's room. He couldn't believe she was standing by the man.

"Can you excuse me for a moment? Business." Corey nodded. Baron pushed himself off the wall and made his way towards Jory. As always, she greeted him with a smile, like she was seeing an old friend.

"Hey."

"Hey. Can I talk to you for a moment in my office?" he asked. Baron saw something flicker in her eyes, but it was gone as quickly as he had spotted it. Jory nodded, wordlessly falling into step beside him as they made their way down the hall towards the General Manager's office.

The first thing that struck Jory when she walked inside was that Kurt was nowhere to be found. _Is he even here? I didn't hear anyone talking about him when I got here_ , she thought to herself. Baron followed her into the room and shut the door behind him. Jory walked into the middle of the room, setting her bag down and turning her attention to her friend. She couldn't squash the heavy, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"What's going on?" she asked. Jory was trying her best to hide her nervousness, but she was sure that she was failing miserably. _Why the hell are you so nervous about being in here with Baron anyway? You've never been like this with him before. He's your friend,_ the voice in the back of her head reminded her. At the moment, in the air, Jory couldn't help but wonder if they were still friends, or if she had done something to damage it. Something felt different, felt... _ominous_. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was off.

"How has your afternoon been?" he started, and Jory realized he was going to draw this out a little bit. She crossed her arms over her chest, unsure of what to do with them. Baron approached her. His stride was confident, but the expression on his face reading complete bemusement.

"Fine. How was yours?"

"Mine? Mine's been kind of strange," he confessed.

"Oh?"

"Do you have any idea what it's like dealing with the flight, with the news that Kurt had to go to Stamford to meet with Stephanie, fighting with the rental car agency, and then getting here, where the first person you meet in the parking lot is Alicia Fox?" he asked. There was a beat of silence between the two of them. Jory contemplated her answer and decided to go the smart-ass route because she couldn't think of any other way to answer.

"I can't say that I have."

"Get serious, Jory," he chastised. "I had a _very_ interesting conversation with her. In that, I stood there and listened while she screeched at me like a banshee."

"Shit." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Baron. I should have come to you last week about everything that happened in the trainer's room after my match, but it slipped my mind after everything. I know that's not a good enough excuse, but it's all I've got."

"You never have much," he told her with a sigh.

"Baron..."

"Why would you even agree to put your number one contender's spot on the line against that woman?" he asked, legitimately baffled. "You've worked so hard to get into the Women's Championship picture, and now, all of a sudden, you're just totally super cool with throwing all of that away?"

"Of course not." Her tone was firm. Baron threw his hands up, exasperated.

"Well, then, do me a favor and explain this shit to me, Jory. What am I missing here?"

"A lot." She shook her head. "I didn't throw out the challenge." She pointed at her lip. "I was a little busy."

"Jory..."

"I was getting stitches. Alicia was in there being Alicia. Bayley stepped in and challenged her to a tag match. Alicia refused to leave the room until I put my spot on the line. At that point, I would have agreed to _anything_ to get her out of there. If she'd stayed any longer, her and Bayley probably would have had a brawl in the medical room, and I probably would have ended up hurt even worse than I am." Jory purposely left out Alicia's insinuations about her and Baron, and she was thankful he didn't pick up on that. She refused to talk about the rumors with Baron; Jory didn't even want to give any of them the dignity of a response. Jory huffed. "As it was, the staff still had to intervene to get her out of there."

Baron was quiet. Crossing his arms over his chest, he went over to his desk and leaned against it. Jory studied him; he seemed to be thinking long and hard about what his next words were going to be. He sighed. "I signed off on your little match, against my better judgment with your condition. Your title opportunity is _not_ on the line. Fuck that. I'm not doing that shit." Baron studied her. He knew Jory as a woman who prided herself on integrity since leaving The Authority. He knew she was unhappy with the development, but he knew that she would understand that he was protecting her.

"Is Alicia aware?"

"Yes."

"Did she balk at the match?"

"She tried, but I gave her a quick refresher on how contract law works." He shook his head. "Everyone around here needs to remember that I make the matches. That goes for you, too." Baron's tone was pointed, rattling Jory. "She chose Alexa as her partner tonight." She nodded, not at all surprised by the development.

"All right, then. I guess I should go and find Bayley and get ready." Jory grabbed her suitcase and moved to leave, but Baron moved quick, putting a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, looking up into brown eyes that somehow felt cold in spite of the burning intensity behind them.

"Remember - _I_ make the matches around here."

She nodded. "I'm sorry."

He moved his hand, and she let herself out of his office quickly, releasing the breath she'd been holding when the door shut behind her. She couldn't help but wonder what Kurt was meeting about. Seth had mentioned that there seemed to be a power struggle brewing between Kurt and Baron, and Jory was starting to see that Seth was right. She knew that people easily corrupted when given power - she had been no exception - but Baron had always seemed like a stone to her. He'd always seemed like a man who did his own thing and had his own thoughts and beliefs that made him above all of the nonsense that came with this world. But for the past few weeks, Jory was beginning to get the feeling that Baron's darker whims were starting to win out, and she didn't like where he was heading.

* * *

When the crowd began to cheer and the sound of footsteps on concrete became heavy in the arena speakers, the words on the lips of Eric Young died abruptly. Sanity had not been scheduled to come out and speak, but with Kurt absent, and Baron refusing to grant a definitive answer on Eric's challenge, the group saw no other alternative but to go out and hijack the show until they got the answer they wanted.

Three sets of legs walked into frame. The pitch and volume of the crowd increased as the camera rose to reveal Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns standing together in their black Shield gear. Seth stood in the middle, holding the camcorder, while Dean stood to the right and Roman stood to the left, his hair pulled back into a bun that rested at the nape of his neck.

"For months, you've tried your best to break us. One by one," Seth began, his tone menacing. He shifted the camera slightly to the left.

"But, surprise - like everyone else around here - you _failed_." Roman's tone was blunt, his voice low and rumbling with bass. Seth shifted the camera to the right.

"Eric Young, you like to call you and your little group agents of chaos, you like to run around here telling anyone who will listen that ' _the chaos always wins',_ you like to stick your nose in everyone's business in the name of being _chaotic_ , but I'm here to teach you a real, _real_ important lesson - don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong. You wanna stick your nose in our business? Be prepared for us to break it." Dean rocked back and forth on his heels, his eyes sparkling with the giddiness he felt. His right hand was over his heart, his fingers wiggling against the material.

"The Shield doesn't bend or break with chaos," Roman informed them. "We _thrive_ on it."

"At _Hell in a Cell,_ you guys are gonna learn the hard way that it doesn't matter what we're doing when the three of us are together, The Shield sets the standard around here," Dean told them, his tone loud. In the ring, Eric's eyes were wide; he looked borderline feral. Behind him, Killian and Alexander stood behind him, shaking their heads in a mixture of anger and disgust.

The camera shifted back to Seth. "It's a no disqualification match you want? It's what you'll get. You'd better bring _everything_ you've got. Bring all your weapons, bring all your friends and your chaos. Bring me your kingdom, and I will _burn. It. Down_."

The trio was soon off-camera, leaving Sanity alone in the middle of the ring. Eric began kicking at the ropes. Moving back, his hands moved to the Intercontinental Championship around his waist. The Shield talked a big game; it was their shtick. But Eric knew that taking the championship from Seth had caused him a great deal of harm. In his head, owning the championship meant that he now owned Seth Rollins. Eric was in Seth's head, burrowed underneath his skin, and it made Seth angry and unpredictable. It was what he wanted.

They got out of the ring and began to make their way to the back, satisfied that The Shield had directly accepted the challenge. He smiled. There was still a few weeks to go before _Hell in a Cell_ , and he was already forming a game plan for beating The Shield. _Maybe it's time to divide and conquer_ , he thought to himself, his smile morphing to an almost cartoonish degree of villainy.

* * *

Jory and Bayley burst through the black curtains to the backstage area, the duo color coordinated in violet, black, and teal. Bayley's arm was draped around Jory's shoulders, her brown eyes bright and her smile wide. The two of them were riding high after Bayley scored a decisive pinfall victory over Alexa Bliss. It wouldn't have been possible had Jory not incapacitated Alicia at ringside with a Bad Mood Rising off the ring apron. When the referee's hand hit the canvas for the third time, Jory slid into the ring quickly, sliding across the canvas to hug her friend. While their lives had taken divergent turns in the past year, Jory was grateful that Bayley always seemed to have her back when things got a little hairy.

"We killed it!" Bayley announced happily, holding up her free hand for a high-five. With a short laugh and a tight smile, Jory slapped hands with Bayley as they walked down the hall together. Removing her arm from around Jory's shoulders, Bayley began tugging at her disheveled side ponytail, letting her dark brown hair fall around her face. The two women had a game plan; their first order of business was a bottle of water, followed by showers and comfortable sweatpants.

"We make a good team," Jory agreed, but her tone lacked joviality. In Bayley's ears, Jory's words sounded flat, causing Bayley's smile to falter slightly. Earlier in the night, when they had met up to go over their match and talk strategy, Jory had mentioned that Baron had been unhappy with their actions the week before when it came to making the match. Jory hadn't said much about it, hadn't divulged specifics, but she had been quiet and sullen since leaving the meeting. Bayley couldn't help but wonder what he had said to her exactly. It was clear his words had gotten inside her head and hurt her feelings. While Bayley didn't believe the rumors that the two were having some kind of romantic fling, Bayley did sense that Jory respected and cared for Baron as a friend. There was a camaraderie there that Jory obviously wasn't finding with anyone else.

Bayley didn't know Baron very well. Until he became involved with _Raw_ , Kurt, and Stephanie in an administrative capacity, he had the reputation of being a quiet man who stuck to himself. "Lone Wolf" wasn't just a nickname to print on T-shirts; it was a lifestyle for Baron Corbin. He kept a small circle of friends and he never ventured outside of that until he struck up a friendship with Jory out of the blue. What Bayley saw so far, however, hadn't left her impressed. Bayley knew that wrestlers in charge always put themselves in the main event at the expense of others, and he was proving to be no exception. The writing was on the wall for Kurt Angle now; Bayley could feel a change in the air backstage that she didn't like. She wondered if Jory ever regretted choosing to stay on _Raw_ over _SmackDown_. The blue brand seemed like a better place to be; there seemed to be fewer politics and more harmony.

Opening her mouth to speak, the words failed to come out of Bayley when the women spotted Seth rounding the corner, dressed in his gear, complete with the black gloves that covered his hands. His black hair hung limply around his face in wet waves. He looked up and spotted them, the trio coming to a stop in the hallway. Seth's eyes fell on Jory and Bayley saw the way his eyes seemed to light up at the sight of her. Moving quickly, he swooped in and picked her up around the waist with both arms, swinging her around and spinning.

" _Seth_!" Jory squealed, her words dying in a fit of giggles. He put her down. She took a step back and looked him over. "The gear - it's a good look," she told him with a nod. Seth snickered.

"Don't be getting any ideas, sweetheart," he teased. "In all seriousness, though, it's great. It's been a while." His tone was downright giddy. Both women knew it meant the world to Seth to have Dean and Roman in his corner once more. When the trio spoke of brotherhood, it wasn't for show; their time together had forged a strong bond between them. It was true that Seth had damaged it for a good chunk of time, but it was a bond that never fully broke between the three of them.

"I love the new shirt," Bayley complimented with a grin. Seth looked at Jory, really looked at her, and his smile faltered. Her body language made him wonder about her night. She'd won her match, so what did she have to be upset about? While he wanted to ask her, he decided to dismiss the issue for now - in the middle of a public hallway didn't seem like the place or time to start digging. For her sake, he was doing everything in his power to rein in his frustrations, and not blow up backstage anymore. He didn't think Jory was willing to take much more of that kind of behavior.

He wondered if her deflated demeanor had anything to do with the chaotic rivalry she was stuck in with Alexa Bliss. Since her exile from The Authority, wins and losses had quit mattering to Jory the way that it used to. He'd asked her about it one night after her match with Stephanie, when she'd been so nonchalant about a win, and she'd told him that in the end, somehow, there was always a chance for her to lose in the end. At the time, he'd thought she was being a pessimist. Deep down, however, he knew that she was onto something. There was always more than what met the eye backstage.

 _"Rollins_! There you are! Jesus Christ, we can't turn our backs on you for a second."

Jory blinked. Dean's words felt loaded. Her gaze drifted past Seth, to the approaching figures of Dean and Roman. In the time since the camcorder promo, Roman had taken his hair out and wet it down with a bottle of water, his hair hanging in limp waves like Seth's. His hair swung to and fro as he stomped down the hall. Dean's walk was a borderline strut, and Jory noticed he was obnoxiously chewing his gum. Dean shifted his weight, leaning onto Seth, draping an arm around his shoulders.

"We've been looking all over for you. I was talking to you, and then you were gone. Way to make me look like an asshole out here, bro." Dean turned to the women and cocked his head. "He's coming with us."

"We've got some business to discuss," Roman informed them, his voice a low rumble heavy with bass. Seth looked at Jory, and he saw something on her face he placed as disappointment crossed with sadness. "Business matters."

"Do your thing," Jory told them softly. She excused herself and left Bayley with the guys in the hall.

"Jory..." Seth started, her name dying on his lips as she turned the corner. He looked at Bayley, who appeared concerned. Before he could say anything else, Dean and Roman gave Bayley a curt nod. Dean pivoted, forcing Seth to turn around with him, the three men walking back towards their area in the back of the arena, leaving Bayley standing alone in the hallway.

* * *

"You're awfully quiet tonight. What gives?"

Jory turned her head to look at Renee on her left, a summertime vision in denim and bare feet. It wasn't an unusual sight to see the Canadian interviewer running around backstage without her shoes on; it was something upper management liked to joke about, Hunter especially. Renee took in Jory's appearance; she had showered and changed from her match, changed into black leggings and her oversized Blackcraft hoodie that was starting to be held together by safety pins. The hood of her sweatshirt was pulled up, her hair wet and down. Without her makeup on, Renee could see that Jory looked exhausted.

Turning her attention back to the screen, Jory watched Baron Corbin standing on the top of the stage, his arms raised. _He's really wrestling in his business gear? That can't be comfortable_ , she thought to herself. The tone of his voice and the words he spoke played over and over in her head, and she couldn't force them out to save her life. Inside the ring, Finn Balor was in his red gear, pacing back and forth, ready to start the match. Baron wrestling in the main event while running the show uncomfortable; it made any perceived abuses of power seem legitimate.

She watched him walk down the ramp, noting the newfound swagger in his step and the arrogance on his face. Renee watched Jory's lips purse into a narrow line and she nodded, her suspicions confirmed. "You want to talk about it?"

Jory's eyes shifted to Renee. She was quiet for a long time. Finally, Jory sighed.

"How do you tell a friend he's in danger of becoming a dictator without making yourself the enemy?"

"Baron." Jory didn't react, but they both knew that Renee hit the nail on the head. "Bayley mentioned you caught some heat from him earlier. Anything you want to talk about?"

"No offense, Renee, but I'm not saying anything when the walls have ears," Jory told her. Renee nodded.

"Probably the smartest option," Renee agreed. They watched the match. It was competitive; Finn was doing everything in his power to beat Baron Corbin. It wasn't long before Finn had the upper hand. With Baron down in the ring, Finn climbed to the top to hit his patented Coup de Grace finisher.

"What the...?" Jory trailed off as she saw Sanity slide into the ring, the three of them converging on Finn like a pack of rabid dogs. Referee John Cone had no choice but to throw the match out. The two of them watched Sanity attack Finn, beating him viciously, their faces identical masks of disgust. As she watched the attack, Jory couldn't help but wonder if Baron had set this up. It all seemed far too convenient. If he had, she was interested to know what his relationship to Sanity was, since they were currently the thorns in the side of Seth, Dean, and Roman. _Something's not right here,_ she thought to herself. Jory felt a pang of sympathy for Finn, who had been expecting to wrestle a match by the rules.

 _"Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta – Shield."_

Jory and Renee's eyes widened, the two of them hit with bolts of relief. Sanity turned to the ramp, and Jory realized that Baron was nowhere to be found. She didn't see him roll out of the ring. Was she overthinking things? Had Baron left, not wanting to be a casualty of Sanity's quest to invoke chaos on the roster? She hated that everything felt so confusing.

Dean, Seth, and Roman rushed through the timekeeper's area and slid into the ring, attacking the men from behind. The brawl went from zero to one hundred quickly, bodies flying everywhere. In the end, The Shield stood tall, Seth moving to help Finn rise to his feet. Finn clutched his side, his face a mask of pain. The quartet in the ring stared down the trio halfway up the ramp, The Shield's music blaring through the speakers as _Raw_ went off the air.

* * *

In the faint glow of the television, Seth half-listened to the news, his gaze instead taking in every detail of the woman sleeping with her head on his chest. Her arm was on his torso, her hand over his heart. The simple gesture filled Seth with a sense of serenity. His eyes scanned the long pinkish line that was barely visible in the faint light, her permanent gift from an earlier run-in with Alexa Bliss. That had been a crazy night, one he knew Jory would never forget for the rest of her life. Seth had been surprised that night to learn that she didn't like needles. It had surprised and impressed him when she'd gotten her tattoo; after seeing her get stitches, he didn't think she would ever sit for one. But she had.

He brought his hand up to stroke her hair absently, his gaze returning to the television. With a contented sigh, Jory curled into him even more, her leg shifting to tangle with his. Her eyes never opened, she never spoke a word.

Dean and Roman had wanted him to drive to the next town with them. They had plans of getting a beer at the hotel bar and talking about how they were going to keep the momentum going after the night they'd had. Seth felt like they were looking at him sideways for riding so high after getting the jump on the group for the second week in a row; he couldn't understand why they couldn't just take in the moment like they used to do when they were young and hungry. In fact, they seemed almost _too_ eager to rain on his parade.

Jory had been surprised that he'd turned the guys down. She'd done her best to hide her reaction, but Seth could see something flicker in her eyes. Something had happened earlier in the night with Baron; Bayley had offhandedly mentioned that Jory had caught some heat for something Bayley had done, but Jory wasn't talking about it and Bayley wasn't giving specifics. He'd tried to push it in the car, but after his blow-up with Baron, she did everything in her power not to talk about her friendship with _Raw_ 's Constable in his presence. He only hoped that whatever had happened had her re-evaluating her relationship with him. Baron Corbin wasn't someone to be trusted. He couldn't understand why Jory couldn't figure that out.

It wasn't just Jory who seemed out of sorts. His thoughts shifted to Dean, who felt different somehow. He acted like the same Dean Ambrose Seth had always known, and aside from some extra muscle and a haircut, he looked the same. But there was something new bubbling beneath the surface, something that felt more reactive. Seth couldn't help but wonder if he was just feeling guilty because of what he'd done in the past. He wasn't all that sure that Dean had really and truly forgiven him for the things he had done.

He looked back at Jory, who slept peacefully. They had come back to the hotel, armed with two pints of ice cream. Seth had thought about relieving Jory's tension, but she had no interest in it. Whatever had been said to her had been stewing in her head for hours, but she wasn't talking to him. He knew she didn't want to hear the same routine he always launched into when it came to Baron, and with the mood she was in he decided to just remain quiet for once.

They ate their ice cream and watched some reruns of _American Dad_ on Adult Swim, but Seth could see that Jory's mind was somewhere else. He'd asked what he could do to salvage her night, but all she'd wanted was a hot shower, ice cream, and sleep.

She wasn't angry, but the mood that radiated from her made him feel uneasy. It was almost as though she was suspicious, but it wasn't of him – he assumed it was Baron. He briefly had the thought that she was wondering about his relationship to Sanity the same way that he and the guys had, and the thought gave him a glimmer of hope that in the end, she would see things the way that he did.


	12. A New Friend?

**Chapter 11:**

 **A New Friend?**

* * *

Jory Moody always entered arenas around the world with the feeling that she was living the dream. Even with all the ups and downs that came with the world of professional wrestling, Jory legitimately loved being a WWE Superstar. She loved being a world traveler, loved dressing up and competing, and she loved doing community outreach. But, every now and then, life had a way of throwing a curve-ball that successfully dampened her spirits. It was one of those nights.

She walked into the arena with a confident stride, her shoulders back and her head held high. She wore a black tank top underneath a shimmering blazer with black jeans and gigantic sunglasses she'd bought at the airport. Her hair was pulled back in a loose braid that fell down her back, and she wasn't wearing a stitch of makeup. Her lips were pursed as she listened to the voice on the other end of the phone, shaking her head in frustration. She dragged her suitcase behind her as she walked.

"I know, I know, Daddy, but the doctor says you need to take them. It's going to keep you ahead of the pain." She listened to him speak, fighting the urge to plant her fist into something out of frustration. "Daddy, I know...I know, but take them, okay? For the love of God, take the pills. It's going to help." She exhaled loudly as he rattled off more excuses. "Can you put Tabby on the line? Well, you're not listening to me. Do what he says. You'll heal faster."

She looked up, her jaw set tight as Baron rounded the corner. He was dressed head to toe in black, the top three buttons of his shirt undone and the sleeves rolled to his elbows. The only pops of color on his clothing was the red and black vest and his brown dress shoes. He spotted Jory and smiled, but for the first time ever, she didn't have one to offer in return. He approached her, the smile on his face faltering.

"I'm at the arena now, Daddy. I'm going to have to call you back later." She listened to him. Behind her sunglasses, Jory's eyes narrowed at the sight of Baron. _Great. Just who I wanted to see_ , she thought sarcastically. "I love you, too, Daddy. I'll talk to you later. Feel better." She hung up the phone.

"Hey. Is everything all right?"

"Fine." She slid her phone into the pocket of her blazer. He studied her, caught off-guard by the cold, firm tone of her voice. It was the first time she'd ever greeted him with any hint of hostility, and he realized he didn't like it very much.

"Can you come with me? I think we should talk."

"What have I done now?" she asked. He could hear the exhaustion in her voice.

"Follow me." His tone was curt, his voice tight. With a soft sigh, she dragged her bag behind him, following him down the hall towards the General Manager's office. Once again, she noticed Kurt was nowhere to be found. Baron held the door open for her while she walked inside, before following behind her. They were quiet for a while. Jory put her suitcase beside the black leather sofa. She thought about sitting down but decided against it. Unsure of what to do with her hands, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at her feet.

"You're angry about last week," he accused. She looked up at him.

"I'm fine."

"Don't do this with me, Jory. You can lie to Seth, but you can't lie to me – if you're angry at me, just fucking say it. Don't play games with me." Baron's bluntness made Jory's chest vibrate. He shook his head. "You can be angry about everything I said to you all you want, but everything I did last week, I did for _your_ protection."

"My protection?" Jory couldn't keep the incredulous look off her face. Baron nodded.

"Yes. You are so quick to prove yourself to anyone who has any bad thing to say to you, and it makes you blind. Somebody says something, and you forget how to step outside the frame and see the bigger picture." He turned to her, throwing his arms up slightly in exasperation. "You are my number one contender to the _Raw_ Women's Championship. I owe it to the WWE Universe to protect this upcoming title match. And as your friend, I need to protect..."

"No. No." She shook her head. "Don't you dare make me out to be some kind of damsel in distress, Baron. We both know I'm far from it."

Baron sighed. "I'm not saying you aren't tough, Jory. I'm saying your ego gets the better of you. We are all guilty of it sometimes. Believe me, I'm looking out for you – if you can't do it, I'm willing to step outside your situation and see the picture for you."

"Where does Sanity fit in your portrait?"

Baron blinked, and Jory found she wasn't at all surprised that he was instantly on the defensive with her. "What – you think I had something to do with what they did last week?" There was a pause. Baron shook his head in disgust. "Did Seth put that idea in your head?"

"They interfered on your behalf."

"They do what they want to do," he told her firmly. "I wanted a fair match just as much as Finn did. The way he's been running his mouth about me? I would have loved to shut it for him. I can beat Finn without Sanity, Jory. And I'd go out there and prove it tonight, but Eric's asked for Finn tonight. It seems to me there are still some issues between them over Finn helping your man out."

Jory sighed. She suddenly felt like a jerk for throwing that out into the universe. "Baron..."

"You've got the night off. I just wanted you to understand where I was coming from last week. Next week you've got the contract signing." Baron looked past her, to the door. "I need to go take care of some things. I'll see you later. Hope your dad feels better."

He left quickly. Jory shook her head. She didn't like the feeling she had. It felt like he was lying.

* * *

"Hey, girly. Looking cute."

Jory turned her head in time for Renee to fall in step beside her, dressed in black high-waist leggings with a black tube top underneath a black and white striped blazer. Her makeup was minimal, her lips a glossy pink, her blonde hair styled in loose waves. "You, too. Love the blazer," Jory commented.

"I missed you this weekend. What happened?"

"Family emergency."

"Oh. I hope everything's okay."

"Everything's okay now. My dad's home from the hospital and resting." Renee wanted to ask her what happened, but Renee knew that Jory didn't talk too much about her personal life on the job. After what she had been through with The Authority, she didn't want to advertise her life to anyone who could use it to attack her with. "He's got all his limbs, and all his fingers and toes. That's really the best we could hope for." Renee could tell Jory was rattled by what had happened.

"Do you need to talk about it?" Renee asked. Jory shook her head.

"I appreciate it, Renee. I'm okay. It's just...it's kind of the realization my dad's not getting any younger, you know? It's scary." Renee nodded sympathetically; she was sure it was a universal emotion for every adult.

"If you need to talk, we can meet for coffee in the morning."

"I appreciate that." They stopped. "Have you seen Seth around? He's not answering any of my messages."

"He's here. I haven't seen him in a while – he's probably off somewhere with the guys," Renee assured her. "Shield business. You know the deal." Jory nodded, but the face she made told Renee that things still weren't sunshine and roses between them.

"All too well."

"What's your plan for tonight?" Renee asked.

"Baron gave me the night off." Jory's expression told Renee that she was unhappy with the development. Just the mention of Baron's name seemed to shift Jory's mood even further into a downward spiral. "So I guess I'm just taking in catering tonight."

"Good night for you to do that – this place has red velvet cupcakes," Renee told her.

"And yet we're still standing here?" Renee laughed, and they continued to walk down the hall. "Then I think I need to go and find Finn."

"Finn?"

"Baron's put him against Eric tonight." Jory sighed. "Baron swears he had nothing to do with Sanity last week."

"And you believe him?" Renee asked.

"I don't know. I've got strange feelings about everyone and everything lately. I'm at a point where it's hard to determine if it's spot-on or just a classic case of paranoia."

"If you ask me, any bad feeling about Baron is probably spot-on," Renee told her. "There's something going on. Kurt's not here _again_ tonight, and this time it's not because he has a meeting with Stephanie."

"So what is it then?"

"I don't know, but Kurt's been tweeting from home all day."

"Shit." Jory sighed. "I knew this was going to happen. Nothing can ever be normal with Stephanie. Everything has to be the fucking _Game of Thrones_ with that woman."

"You think Kurt's on his way out of a job?"

"Probably." Jory thought about the years Kurt chased after Stephanie romantically, about all the times Stephanie used that against him for years. Stephanie McMahon was a princess, a small petulant child with a vast array of "toys" at her disposal. She had her favorite ones, but every now and then she'd find new favorites and cool on the old ones. Now that Kurt was married with five kids and he wasn't interested in Stephanie and her games anymore and could think for himself, Jory knew that it would put him at odds with Stephanie.

They stopped at catering, the two of them grabbing a cupcake. "If I see Seth, do you want me to tell him you're looking for him?" Jory bit into her cupcake.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll check his phone eventually." Renee's expression became sad. Jory wiped a small dollop of cream cheese frosting off the corner of her mouth with a finger. "Have a good night out there."

Renee nodded, watching Jory walk away. From their short conversations together, Renee had the feeling that Jory's life was spiraling once again. All she could say about it was that she was proud of her friend for refusing to throw in the towel.

* * *

Jory found Finn by himself in the bowels of the arena, dressed in his black and rainbow ring gear with a Balor Club T-shirt. He turned, arms in the air, body leaned to the left, jolting when he saw Jory standing behind him, eating a cupcake. "Enjoying the show?" he teased.

"The cupcake's better if I can be honest."

"You come to make excuses for your boy?" Finn asked. Jory flinched.

"He's not my boy."

"Could have fooled me."

"He's not my boy, Finn. These days, I don't really know what he is," she added quietly.

"Is this where I'm supposed to spill my guts?" She was stung by Finn's defensiveness. It struck her that Finn and Seth were far more alike than the two men would care to admit.

"No. I just came to tell you to be careful tonight. I don't know what our constable has planned, but I don't want to see what happened last week."

Finn nodded. "I imagine Eric will have his posse with him."

"What about...?"

"The Shield? Yeah, they do their own thing. I can't count on them all the time," Finn told her. "You should watch your back, too – it's only a matter of time before Nikki Cross makes her way up here."

"Duly noted." Jory's lips pulled into a thin line. "Be careful out there tonight, Finn. I'm pulling for you."

"That's great – I'm going to need all the luck I can get."

* * *

 _Boys club, Jory. Where does that leave you?_

With a sad, drawn-out sigh, Jory zipped her Blackcraft hoodie up to her sternum and pulled the giant hood over her head. She couldn't be more thankful that the night was over, and she could leave; the fewer people who could see her, the better. Her night hadn't started on the best of notes to begin with, and it only seemed to roll further downhill the longer it progressed.

She'd run into Seth after the show, after The Shield had left Finn Balor alone to try and combat the numbers game with Sanity. Finn had been steamrolled, to nobody's surprise, and Jory couldn't help but feel anger at Seth and Roman for hanging Finn out to dry; Finn, who had stepped in and picked up the sword that Dean had been forced to drop while he'd been injured. Finn had come to their aid countless times, only to be left in the lurch upon Dean's return.

 _Like you, honey. Seth's got room for nobody but himself and his brothers. It's cute you think otherwise._

Jory had asked Seth why he hadn't returned any of her messages all weekend. He'd been busy with the guys, he'd told her. He'd had plans. He didn't have to say it, but life carried on without her. It always seemed to. Before she'd been able to say anything else, Roman and Dean had come out of nowhere, draping their arms around Seth like drunken brothers on a bar crawl. They had plans; Seth was theirs for the night. "Boys club" had been Dean's words, his intense blue gaze on Jory. His words had stung, but Seth laughing at the comment had hurt more. As she watched them leave, the tears had threatened to spill from her eyes. She felt duped, like she'd allowed herself to be spellbound by the performance he'd given her the past few weeks. One weekend she leaves to deal with a family emergency, and things seemed to snap back into place. The guys had taken her spot; once again, she was somewhere down at the bottom. One day she was sure that Seth would find a way to balance his relationships; the only thing she wasn't sure about was if it was going to be with her.

 _Not my day, not my week, not my month, not my year, not my life,_ she thought to herself bitterly, dragging her suitcase behind her. She thought of her dad, at home with his leg propped up on the couch, stitched up. He'd lost a lot of blood; for the life of her, she had no idea how he remained so calm while Tabitha rushed him to the hospital. The fact that a chainsaw had been involved and he'd managed to keep all his limbs and appendages was nothing short of a miracle. He'd nicked an artery; how the accident had happened was still a mystery to both Jory and Tabitha. Jory expected the time off to be an issue, but Kurt was more than accommodating.

Spending the weekend cleaning and redressing his wounds while Tabitha was in Louisville with her son. Making sure he was comfortable and taking his medication had been a full-time job; she hadn't expected him to be so staunchly against taking painkillers. Between fighting with her father and keeping him from getting an infection, she'd also found herself completely ignored by Seth, who knew nothing about what was happening because he wasn't answering his text messages or phone calls.

The divide between them seemed irreparable, despite their best efforts, and she couldn't figure out a way to close the gap. She was becoming far too used to being on the outside looking in, and she found herself more tired of it than usual.

There was a fleeting thought inside her head that she should be happy for Seth, that she was being selfish; after all, it wasn't every day that Dean Ambrose handed out forgiveness. After so long apart, Seth _finally_ had his brothers back. Once again, they were a unit, the Hounds of Justice, The Shield. She knew that Seth felt like all was right in his world again with the guys, but it was hard for Jory to ignore the feeling that their world wasn't right, that their reunion was only pushing her out of his life even further.

Dean's words had stung more than she would be willing to admit to anyone. Watching them leave together, Seth telling her to just go onto the next town without him and "not to wait up" ringing in her ears. Somehow, Seth had found a way to make her feel worse.

So he'd left with the boys, and alone once again, Jory felt stupid for believing all the promises he'd ever made her. The words felt hollow now, an attempt to make her feel like they weren't headed for an unmitigated disaster. It felt like he'd told her everything she wanted to hear just so she could climb into his bed, to keep her in place. It was a horrible feeling, to be left alone with cruel thoughts and a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Somehow, though, it felt like the perfect ending to a nightmarish weekend.

Jory walked down the hall, wondering why neither of them could find the courage to separate. Were they that much of a security blanket to each other? With a sigh, the little voice in the back of her head reminded her that there was a huge complication on her end.

 _Look who you went and fell in love with, you idiot._

Jory didn't want to let him go. When they were together, she was happy. When they were together, for the most part, Seth was a calming presence in her life. How their lives had diverged so wildly and so quickly, she didn't know. They were seeing each other, but she felt like Seth wasn't _seeing_ her, and she wasn't sure what more she could do to make him look. She was beginning to wonder if it was even worth it.

Turning the corner, her hurt and angry thoughts disappeared abruptly when a familiar guitar riff hit her ears. _Layla_. She turned her head, eyes falling on Elias sitting on a black and silver trunk, strumming his guitar lazily. His eyes were closed, head moving side to side softly with the rhythm. Her eyes slightly narrowed; he didn't look like he was ready to leave the arena. Instead of questioning it, she approached quietly, coming to a stop to the left of the trunk.

His eyes opened and he saw her immediately, dressed head to toe in black, her mint green eyes full of sadness. His hand slapped over the hole on his guitar, cutting the noise off abruptly. The two of them were quiet for a moment, looking in each other's eyes, gauging each other. Jory broke the silence.

"Please...keep playing." She couldn't tell what he was thinking; his face was bemused.

"I don't do requests."

"I'm not...the song..." She trailed off with a sad sigh. Elias cocked his head, studying her intently. At _SummerSlam,_ she had been stylish and vivacious, determined and confident, a whirlwind of personality and fury. The woman who stood in front of him now was a far cry from what he had seen; call him crazy, but he thought she was going to cry. It struck Elias that Jory looked defeated. "If it helps, I'll hold my applause. My phone's off in my suitcase...I'll even shut my mouth. Just...please. Keep playing."

He was quiet for a few moments, and Jory felt like he was staring into her soul. Elias was a quiet man; his trainer had always told him to keep his head down and observe. It was fascinating to him that while everyone was over the moon about the reunion of The Shield, Seth's girlfriend wasn't among the happy. Elias thought that was an interesting development, but he wasn't Barbara Walters; he wasn't about to dig for information. All he had to do was sit back and keep his ears open, and the picture would eventually become clear. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't paying close attention to the strange triangle that had formed between Seth, Jory, and Baron.

Finally, he shifted on the trunk. "Come on. Have a seat. Tell no one I'm doing this. I've got an image to uphold."

"Your secret is safe with me," she assured him, grateful that he would humor her. She set her suitcase against the trunk and sat down beside him, shifting until her back was against the wall. Jory was careful to keep enough space between the two of them; the last thing she wanted was for him to think she was being creepy. Elias shot her a look as he readjusted his guitar.

"I didn't peg you for a Clapton fan." Her lips pulled into what he thought was the saddest of smiles.

"One of the greatest guitar players ever," she told him. There was more she wanted to add, more that was personal he was sure, but she cut herself off. Instead of pressing, he continued to play, picking up where he'd left off. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jory's head lean back against the wall, her eyes closing. The sad smile seemed to be a permanent fixture on her face.

If anyone were to ask him about the women in the company, Elias would tell them that Jordana Moody was the one who fascinated him the most. He didn't know what to make of her. She had come into the company with bells and whistles, Hunter and Stephanie's Golden Child with the golden hair. Then she'd become their reject, and for a while she'd become a ghost, wandering aimlessly in catering while the women around her passed her by leaps and bounds. But somehow, some way, she'd managed to claw her way back into the picture, and she was thriving.

Given what he knew about her tense relationship with Hunter and Stephanie, her friendship with Constable Baron Corbin was a wrinkle in an otherwise straightforward fabric. He'd heard the whispers about her and Baron – it was a hot-button topic among all the backstage gossips – and he had to admit that he didn't see it. Whenever he was nearby and saw them interact, he never got a sense of any kind of chemistry. Everything felt professional and on the level.

But Elias didn't trust Baron Corbin as far as he could throw the man. Baron was a treacherous human being, and he didn't think it bode well for _Raw_ that Stephanie was leaving the man in charge so much. He didn't usually question anyone in the McMahon family, but it was hard to understand the thought process behind appointing Baron Corbin to an office position. When he became General Manager – Elias knew it was going to happen sooner rather than later – Elias believed fully that Baron was going to take the show down the tubes.

When he finished playing. Elias turned his attention to Jory. He didn't trust her fully, but she always seemed to have a kind word and a smile for everyone she came across. He watched her reach into her bra strap and pull out some money. Leaning over, she slid it into the fret of his guitar before she got off the trunk and grabbed her suitcase.

"Thank you. Best thing I've heard tonight by a mile."

Elias pulled the money out of his guitar, his brows knitting in confusion. "What's this? I can't take this." He reached out to hand her the money back, but she put her hand on his and pushed it gently back towards him. He was surprised at how soft and gentle her touch felt.

"You can and you will. It's the least I can do for this. Consider it breakfast on me in the morning, or a drink at the bar tonight when you get to the next town." She smiled, and he was sure he could see a faint pink blush on her cheeks. "You don't know how much this means tonight."

Before he could object further, she'd wished him a good night and was gone. He stared at the twenty dollar bill in his hand before staring down the hallway where she had just disappeared. With a sigh, he shook his head and slipped the money into the pocket of his jeans.

"Women."


	13. A Changed Landscape

**Chapter 12:**

 **A Changed Landscape**

* * *

 _Breaking News: Stephanie McMahon Places Kurt Angle on Vacation; Names Baron Corbin Acting General Manager of Monday Night Raw._

Jory's eyes scanned the words over and over again, her mind unable to make the sentence come together in her head. With a sigh, she shut the screen of her phone off and dropped it on the passenger's seat of her rental car. "Great. Just fucking _great_ ," she said with a sigh. Currently, Jory was stuck on the Pennybacker Bridge in Austin, Texas, where she'd been sitting for the last two hours of her life. She'd sent a text message to Baron to give him the head's up that she was going to be late to the arena since traffic was at a standstill, and hadn't been at all surprised to learn she wasn't the only WWE employee stuck on the bridge. Bayley had messaged her to let her know it was a pile-up. It was bumper-to-bumper, cars as far as the eye could see.

In his text message, Baron told her he had great news to share with her when she got to the area. While she had been curious, she was pretty sure the WWE app had blown Baron's big surprise. Shifting in her seat, Jory shrugged out of her black blazer. It was hot, too hot to be stuck in a rental car, even with the air conditioner. _Just my fucking luck. Ugh. I'm going to be here forever_ , she thought wistfully.

She wanted to be happy for Baron; he was her friend, after all, and it seemed like the power struggle between Stephanie, Baron, and Kurt was always going to lead Baron to this. But it was hard to ignore the feeling that the newfound authority Stephanie had been bestowing on him had gone to his head quickly. Without Kurt around to offer checks and balances - she didn't believe that Stephanie would ever do such a thing - she knew that _Raw_ and the people on it were now at the mercy of Baron's whims, for better or worse.

Jory thought about Seth, who was probably already at the arena, and the irritation she felt gave way to anger. All week she'd been trying to make travel arrangements with him, only for Seth to tell her at the last possible minute that he was going to be traveling on this current loop with Dean and Roman. The company was on The Shield bandwagon, wanting to film new episodes of _Table For 3_ and _Ride Along_ with the trio. The new schedule with The Shield seemed to call for the three men to practically live together. "Shield Business" was quickly becoming a more hated phrase than "Best For Business". Moving forward, she thought about finding a more reliable roommate.

 _You're practically a glorified groupie and a punching bag at this point, Jory, and you and I both know you're going to have to do something about it soon. I mean, how long do you think you can keep doing this?_ she thought to herself. Staring out the window, at the beautiful blue sky, Jory sighed. "All we had was the fight," she murmured to herself. "He didn't want to believe me, and now look where we are."

She could blame their current situation on Sanity, blame it on the rigors of the business and the reunification of The Shield, but she knew at the end of the day it fell on her and Seth. _Both_ of them had to want this, and it was becoming more and more clear that maybe Seth wasn't as attached as she was. Staring at the cloudless sky, she wondered how much longer she could hold on for, and if Seth even knew she was standing so close to the edge, or if he was being willfully ignorant. Dean's comment the week before about "Shield Business" being a "boys club" still bothered Jory more than she wanted to admit, but deep down she knew that Dean had hit the nail on the head - since the trio had become a unit again, there was officially no more room for her inside his world. Her friendship with Baron had made her seem treacherous in his eyes, even if he wasn't saying the words out loud to her face. Even when they traveled to the arenas together, it was becoming rarer that they left together at the end of the night. Sometimes he'd even drop the "don't wait up" line on his way out with the guys. Most nights she fell asleep alone; her ice cream intake had plummeted. Some mornings she woke up to a text saying he was rooming with Roman.

They were on a course for disaster, and she was resigned to it, even as her mind fell into the same contradictory spiral - the voice inside her head telling her that they were doomed and that she could save this in the same breath. Between his school, his preparations to open a second business, his beef with Sanity, his brothers, and his quest for the Intercontinental Championship, Jory realized that they had become colleagues with benefits, and the benefits were beginning to dry up. _When was the last time we even...God, it must have been at his place? It's been forever. Maybe instead of waiting in the wings so much, Jory, maybe you can stop being so pathetic and build a life of your own - he's not even thinking about you anyway._

She sighed, letting her head fall back against the seat, fighting the urge to have a meltdown behind the wheel. Moving forward she thought about who she could room with - Bayley and Sasha were practically living together now, and Renee and Dean were a thing...Jory dismissed the thought of rooming with Baron; that felt like it would open her up to far more trouble than it was worth. A warm body wasn't worth enduring the headache, as far as she was concerned.

Baron. The thought of him made her uncomfortable now. With every week that passed, she watched him morph into someone she recognized less and less. He had become Stephanie's protege in every way, going so far as to learn her language. It felt like it was too late now to pull him back from the edge or to even cut her losses and bail with him. To sever their association would only make her an enemy, and she felt a jolt in her stomach for letting herself get caught in a situation like this. _You should have known better, Jory._

Jory knew that Seth had been right about Baron, that he had probably always been right about Baron. But she'd wanted to see the good in him. Baron, who'd offered his friendship and had kept her company during times when Seth had been too busy to care. She'd been caught up by a smile that seemed so innocent, taken in by his unbridled enthusiasm for metal music, horror movies, tattoos, and haunted houses. Had she been so naive to believe that Stephanie's evil wouldn't rub off on him? With the situation becoming the way it was, Jory was forced to admit to herself that her friendship with Baron had allowed her to become delusional to his swelling ego. Seth had been right; while he may have been a jerk about how he went about things, Jory had to admit that he had been right nonetheless.

Looking ahead at the cars, she sighed. _I need to get out of this car._

* * *

"Holy shit, am I glad to see you. Glad you made it - I was beginning to worry..."

Jory turned her head in time to see Baron approaching her quickly. He was dressed head-to-toe in black, his sleeves rolled up at the elbows, the top three buttons on his shirt undone to reveal a glimpse of his chest tattoo. Jory wondered why she was surprised to find he wasn't wearing a vest; it seemed like such an odd detail to be hung up on. He was grinning, and there was an energetic pep in his step, a swagger that she hadn't seen last week that she suspected had everything to do with his brand new promotion.

"Jory Moody, coming through in the clutch. What do you need?"

Baron studied her, eyes narrowing slightly at the cold, exhausted tone of her voice. His gaze shifted to the black business blazer slung over her suitcase. She was dressed in a black halter jumpsuit, her hair pulled back in an extremely messy ponytail. Normally Jory was far more put together in her appearance, but he realized that she'd had a long afternoon. The sparkle in her eyes and the light in her smile were long gone, and while Baron suspected that some of it had to do with her unraveling relationship with Seth Rollins, he could chalk the majority of it up to the hours she spent on the bridge.

"Have you been to the match card yet?" he asked.

"No. I just got here. I haven't even settled into the locker room yet." Baron nodded.

"Fair enough. You and Sasha are going to be closing out the show. You two will be signing your contract for _Hell in a Cell_." Jory's eyes widened.

"Closing out the show? Like, the main event spot?" she asked. He nodded again, and she blinked. "Wow. That's crazy."

"You're welcome." His smile was smug. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know it's been a rough day, but put a smile on - you're finally the main event," he told her. She nodded, giving him a smile that felt plastic and weak, but it seemed to be enough to satisfy him. "I know it's a WWE contract signing, but I'm going to ask you not to do anything crazy out there. I'd like to preserve the integrity of this match and the health of both you _and_ the champion."

Jory's eyes narrowed slightly. "What makes you think I would do something like that?"

"Nothing. But I had this talk with Sasha earlier, so in the interest of fairness, I'm having it with you, too," he told her. He shook his head, a smirk tugging at his mouth. "Jesus, Jory, you've been real defensive lately. Anything you want to talk about?"

"No, no. I'm fine. I'm fine," she told him quickly. "I guess I'm just...back on the bridge."

"Well, bring your ass to work," he told her with a laugh. She offered a short laugh with him. "I hate to cut this short, but I need to go and get some stuff together. I'm going to be mediating the signing tonight, so I'll see you out there. Try and get yourself together before then, okay? I got a lot riding on this."

She nodded. There was a tinge of desperation in his voice and in his eyes, and she knew why, so she did her best to appear sympathetic to his plight. But inside her head, she wondered how Baron thought he could keep Stephanie McMahon happy long-term. It wasn't possible to hold a permanent position. Jory knew firsthand how bad life could get when Stephanie McMahon became an enemy, but she also knew that Baron wouldn't hear any of her reservations about his new job. Like so many before her, Baron would just have to learn like the rest of them.

"Oh, and Jory..." Baron's voice cut into her thoughts, his hand moving as if he'd just remembered something. "If you see your man around here tonight, let him know that his match with Finn...whoever wins it is going to be the number one contender to Eric Young's Intercontinental title. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah. Sure thing."

"Always glad I can count on you," he told her before disappearing. When he was out of her view, her shoulders sagged. He stopped only once to look back at her, and she felt like she was under suspicion by the way he looked at her. Reaching for her suitcase, she made her way towards the women's locker room, doing her best to shake off the ominous feeling that was beginning to seep into her bones.

* * *

"Hey! Sorry to interrupt..."

"...But you're about to anyway," Dean finished mockingly. A smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth when he felt the red-hot glare of Jory Moody. The men were sitting together at the back of the arena, just away from the loading area where the ambulances were stationed. Jory was on her way to hair and makeup when she caught a glimpse of Roman on the trunk, drinking coffee and laughing with the guys. The three men weren't yet in their ring gear, all of them dressed business casual. Roman wore a simple gold chain around his neck, his thick black hair pulled into a bun that rested at the nape of his neck. Roman sipped his coffee, offering Jory a curt nod in lieu of a verbal greeting.

"Hey. What's up?" Seth asked. Neither of them made any move to embrace or slap hands.

"I'm supposed to pass along the message that your match tonight with Finn is going to determine the number one contender's spot for Eric's title." She was careful not to say Baron's name in Seth's presence. The mere mention of Baron's name seemed to cause a lot of trouble between them. After the afternoon she'd survived, the last thing she wanted to do was get into a fight with her boyfriend at her place of employment. As it was, she just wanted to go back to the hotel, crawl under her blankets, and not come out until Tuesday morning.

"Did you hear that from our illustrious new GM?" Seth asked sarcastically, his eyes narrowing. Jory sighed.

"Yeah. He told me to pass the message along when I saw you. It's passed. My work is done."

"Great." Seth nodded, but there wasn't a hint of a smile on his face at the news. Like many of the other people in the locker room, Seth didn't trust Baron Corbin, acting _Raw_ General Manager. Jory wasn't comfortable with the new development, either, but talking to Seth about her friendship with Baron was more trouble than it was worth, so she kept her concerns to herself.

"Should we be asking what you did to swing that, sweetheart?" Dean sneered. Jory's eyes widened - the insinuation was loud and clear. She looked at Dean, eyes narrowing at the amused grin on his face and the jovial sparkle in his blue eyes. The disgust in her abdomen raged and rolled, finding its way into her chest. The fact that such words were coming from the lips of one of Seth's "brothers" hit her hard; it made her wonder just what they were saying to him about her when she wasn't around, Dean especially. Such a thought that they would trash her while she wasn't in their sights sent her reeling. Shaking her head, the shock in her eyes gave way to outright fury.

"Go fuck yourself, Ambrose."

Roman almost choked on his coffee. Seth's eyes bulged. He opened his mouth to speak but Jory pivoted and stormed away. Seth turned to Dean, who put his hands up in mock surrender, the best innocent expression he could muster on his face. With a sigh, Seth's eyes went back to where Jory had been, but she was already gone. Seth threw up his hands in exasperation as Dean shot a look at Roman.

"What did I say?"

* * *

Seth burst through the black curtain, sweaty and exhausted but happy. Facing Finn Balor was always the best kind of challenge - after all, both men were of a similar build, with a similar move-set. But on this evening Seth was relieved that he had wanted the victory just a little bit more. His victory over Finn had put Eric Young and the Intercontinental Championship back in his sights, and he had no intention of letting this opportunity slip through his fingers.

The wide smile on his face faltered when he found Baron Corbin standing at the foot of the stairs outside Gorilla, a black leather clipboard tucked under his arm. The new General Manager gave Seth a round of applause that felt patronizing, that sounded as fake as the smile on Baron's face.

"Great job out there, Rollins. You got the W. Who knew you had it in you?"

Seth glowered at Baron while his brain came up with every nasty response he could possibly think of. In the end, he chose to remain silent; after a disgusted shake of his head, he turned on his heels and began to walk away from Baron. Knowing he was underneath Seth's skin, Baron's smile grew wider. "Wait! Wait, Seth - where are you going? You do want to sign this, don't you? It's the contract for your Intercontinental Championship match against Eric Young at _Hell in a Cell_. I mean, this is what you've wanted since you lost it, right?"

Seth stopped in his tracks and exhaled. Of course, he wanted to sign the contract and make the match official. Ever since losing the championship all he'd thought about was winning it back. With a frustrated grunt, he turned and approached Baron. He couldn't understand why Jory was so willing to throw herself on the sword in the name of their friendship; a man like Baron Corbin didn't deserve such a luxury.

When Seth was within reach, Baron handed him the contract. He leaned against the wall, watching Seth's eyes scan over every word. He knew that Seth was looking to make sure there was no language in the contract that would allow Baron to pull a bait-and-switch. Crossing his arms over his chest, Baron looked both ways down the hallway, as if he were checking to make sure the coast was clear before he spoke.

"I gotta ask you, Rollins - man to man - is it just me, or does Jory seem more agitated than usual lately?"

Seth felt himself grow hot at the sound of Jory's name falling from his lips. While Seth knew he was far from a perfect boyfriend, he couldn't deny that Jory's choice to remain friends with this guy had caused a wedge between them that was proving to be irreparable. He wished that Jory would wake up and see Baron for the sycophant he was, but she'd made it clear to Seth that her friendships were none of his concern.

Eyes narrowing, Seth's eyes made it to the bottom of the page, his gaze landing on Eric's signature. Seth quickly scrawled his signature on the line and put the pen back in the clip, practically slamming the clipboard into Baron's chest. "There. It's signed. Man to man, from me to you - don't you ever let me hear Jory's name come out of your mouth."

"What are you going to do about it, Rollins?" Baron asked with a snort. "I think you forget who's running things now. One word to Stephanie, and I'll have you thrown back down to the bottom. I hear _205_ could use a star."

"Do your worst, asshole."

"Jealous much?"

"Stay the fuck away from her!" Seth exploded. Turning on his heels, Seth stormed off down the hallway. The joy he felt in his victory only moments before had completely evaporated, replaced by rage. Baron as the interim General Manager, while Kurt Angle was off on vacation, was a very unwelcome development. While he knew this was coming, that at some point Stephanie would put her new plaything in charge, Seth was still hoping that Kurt would find a way to make it back to _Raw_. Seth didn't think he could survive on _Raw_ under the Baron Corbin Administration, Shield or no Shield.

* * *

Baron stood in the middle of the ring, grinning from ear to ear as the crowd rained abuse down upon him. Ever since trading in a football career for pro wrestling, there had never been any love lost between Baron and the fans. Even during his days in NXT, the crowd had never really liked him. At this point in his career, there was very little someone could say to him that he'd never heard before. Everyone had warned him that a thick skin was needed to succeed in pro wrestling; it worked in his favor that he had never been the kind of guy to care what other people thought of him. The idea of changing and giving a damn about the opinion of some idiot in their mother's basement didn't appeal to him one iota.

The ring canvas was covered with red carpeting to match the ring ropes. In the middle of the ring was a long table covered with a black tablecloth. Two leather Ergonomic chairs were stationed on either side. In the middle of the table was the clipboard with the contract for Sasha Banks vs. Jordana Moody at _Hell in a Cell_ for the _Raw_ Women's Championship. Microphones had been placed on both sides of the clipboard.

He felt good. Aside from a few small hiccups, the first _Raw_ under the Baron Corbin Administration had been great. Baron had his suspicions that The Shield was going to prove to be a major headache for him moving forward, but he felt more than up to the task of handling the trio. He gazed out at the crowd, taking in the Seth Rollins T-shirts, Shield T-shirts...there wasn't a person in the crowd wearing his merchandise. This wasn't his town. Yet here he was, the benevolent General Manager he was, giving them everything they could have asked for.

"Tonight, we are here to sign the contract for the _Raw_ Women's Championship match at _Hell in a Cell_ ," Baron announced. There was a slight smattering of cheers, mainly because while they were excited about the match, they hated the man who was giving the announcement. "I spoke to both women earlier in the night and they have assured me that absolutely nothing crazy is going to happen." The crowd jeered. "No, no - you people don't understand. As the acting _Raw_ General Manager, it is my _duty_ to protect this match. It is my duty to protect _all_ the _Raw_ matches on the card."

The crowd still booed in disapproval. Baron scoffed. "First I'm going to introduce the challenger - Jordana Moody."

 _Pulse_ began blaring through the speakers and the crowd cheered. Since arriving at the arena, Jory had changed into a pair of tight, dark blue jeans with a black studded halter top. Her hair had been styled in a braid, two slightly curled strands waving her face. Baron thought the makeup she wore looked perfect, slightly smoky with a nude gloss. She wore chunky heeled boots that went up to her knees. He watched her move with confidence, grinning at her approaching figure. He made no move to approach the ropes; he didn't want to give anyone the idea that he was playing favorites. Jory got into the ring. Baron offered her a curt nod and she rounded the table, taking her place on the side closest to the fans while her music faded from the speakers.

"And her opponent. The _Raw_ Women's Champion...Sasha Banks."

"Sky's the Limit" began, and the crowd booed. Beautiful, tenacious, and egotistical, Sasha had built a lot of momentum at the expense of her friends. She came out, her T-shirt cut into a halter top, her purple hair curled in luxurious waves. She took off her shutter shades and put them on her head. Around her waist, she wore the Women's Championship. Jory watched Sasha make her way down to the ring with a swagger in her step; confidence she had earned by making every woman on the roster tap out to the Bank Statement.

Sasha got into the ring, pulling the belt off her waist and holding it high over her head, a smug smile on her face. Jory stared at Sasha, not at all intimidated by her. Placing her title on the table, Sasha sat down in her chair, placing her feet up on the table as the music stopped. Placing her championship nicely on the table, Sasha was the first to pick up the microphone. She turned to Baron, who held both hands up in mock surrender before motioning that the floor belonged to her.

"Before I sign my name on this contract, I've got some things I'd like to get off my chest," Sasha announced. She fell silent for a moment, taking in Jory from head to toe. Jory noted that Sasha's expression was bemused and unimpressed. "You got lucky, and now you're here. Once again, Jordana Moody finds a way to weasel into a division that's passed her by. Once again, Jordana Moody gets the spotlight on her, while the girls in the back once again get a fraction of the attention." Jory's eyes narrowed. "I want you to know that I am the Women's Champion for a reason, and I intend on staying that way for a very long time.

"So you can walk into _Hell in a Cell_ with all your stupid little hopes and dreams, but you need to remember that I am The Boss. I _run_ this division. I've sacrificed _everything_ to hold this title over my head, and I have no problem with embarrassing you and sending you back down to the bottom where you belong." The crowd let out a sound of shock as Sasha signed the contract and reached for her belt.

Jory reached for the microphone. "Everything you just said was asinine." Sasha shot her an amused look. "I've spent the last three and a half years of my life scratching and clawing to get back into the picture after I got cast out. Or did you skip that chapter down in NXT?"

"You'll have to forgive me. The girls and I were busy _being the main event_." Jory nodded.

"You want to talk about sacrifice? We all sacrifice something being here, Sasha. All of us. You're not special." Jory shook her head. "I see a lot of myself in you, Sasha. You're talented. I have no doubt that you're going to be in the Hall of Fame someday."

"I am _nothing_ like you."

"You've built your success on the backs of the people you called your friends," Jory shot back. "Bayley might be too nice to say anything about that, but anyone with a working set of eyes can see your name on the handle of the knife that is constantly stuck in that woman's back."

The crowd roared. "Don't you..."

The familiar techno beat of Alexa Bliss' music hit the speakers and the crowd jeered as Alexa walked out. Her pink-tipped blonde hair was tied in pigtails with a black ribbon tied in bows. She wore her Blissed Off T-shirt with her ring gear. Alexa held the microphone in her hand casually, her pink lips quirked in a smirk as she came to a stop at the top of the stage.

"Oh, isn't this cute? Who is the bigger backstabber? If it means anything to you, Jordana, I think Sasha's worse than you are."

"Jeez. That means a lot," Jory replied sarcastically.

"But you guys are forgetting something - _I'm_ here. And I should be the number one contender for that title." Alexa walked down the ramp. "So...with that being said, I'm here to let you know that whoever wins your little match? I'm going to be at the front of the line."

Alexa climbed into the ring. Sasha approached Alexa defensively, prompting Alexa to hold her hand up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Champ - I'm not here for you. Like everyone else, I'm out here to see this contract signing." Alexa moved past Jory, who was already on the defensive and took her place leaning against the turnbuckle. "So...as you were. I wanna see this."

Jory turned and slid the contract over to her. She was very aware of Alexa's gaze burning into her back. Grabbing the pen, she scrawled her name next to Sasha's and made the match official.

"And there you have it - Jordana Moody vs. Sasha Banks is official," Baron announced. Sasha shoved the table at Jory, giving her an amused smirk.

Before Jory could turn, she was down on the table, Alexa's forearm hitting her in the back of the head with a surprising amount of force. Grabbed by the hair, Alexa threw her over the table, into Sasha, who struck, locking Jory into the Bank Statement and making her tap. Outside the ring, just out of reach, Alexa waved at Jory, smiling at her bulged eyes and her hand hitting the canvas repeatedly. Sasha let go of Jory and grabbed her title, walking on Jory on her way out of the ring.

Referees swarmed the ring and helped Jory to a sitting position. With an aggravated sigh, Jory slammed her good hand down on the canvas. _Aren't we off to a great start? Fuck._

* * *

 _What the hell was that earlier? You know you owe Dean an apology, right?_

Sitting alone in a gas station parking lot half an hour from the next town, Jory had spent the better part of ten minutes gaping at the text message on her phone. She read it over and over again, getting angrier every time her gaze hit the word "apology".

Her head and neck burned. She was pretty sure Sasha had yanked hard enough to pull a muscle. All she could think about was getting to the next town, taking two Advil tablets and slapping on an Icy Hot patch before crawling into bed. She'd had enough of the day. Between the traffic, Dean, Sasha's words and Alexa's attack, all she wanted to do was end the day. Once again, she'd be ending it alone.

As she looked at the message, she wondered if Seth was asking Dean to apologize to her for starting it. The fact that he would openly ask her if she somehow swayed Baron to do something in Seth's favor made her skin crawl. Since coming back, Dean wasn't the same person, and while Seth knew it, she realized that he was ignoring it for the sake of having his brotherhood back.

"Fuck him. And fuck you, too," she said to the phone, fighting every urge in her body to type out the message and send it. Shutting her phone screen off, she threw it on the passenger's seat and started the car. "Ugh. I'll apologize to Dean Ambrose when Hell freezes over."


	14. Hell in a Cell

**Chapter 13:**

 **Hell in a Cell**

* * *

Jory arrived alone to the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, for _Hell in a Cell_. The nervousness she felt left her a shaking mess behind the steering wheel of her rental car. In a matter of hours, she would be standing across the ring from _Raw_ Women's Champion Sasha Banks, and there was a fifty-fifty chance that she would be walking out of the event with the championship. Since becoming the number one contender it was all she could think about. Defeating Stephanie on her father's grand stage had been icing on the cake; going on to win the championship would only be the cherry on top.

She parked the car but made no immediate effort to get out or kill the ignition. Once again, she was traveling alone because Seth had blown up their travel arrangements at the last possible minute. With his upcoming match against Eric Young, he'd chosen to meet up with Dean and Roman to strategize. He promised that he'd hook up with her at the arena, but Jory didn't see how that was possible; if he was too busy to see her outside of work, what made him think it would be any calmer _at_ work? She couldn't help but think once again that he was telling her all the things she wanted to hear.

They were going down in flames. It wasn't getting better; it seemed to only get worse. His insistence that she apologize to Dean Ambrose left her deeply offended and hurt. He was insistent that Dean meant no harm, that she'd flown off the handle, but she'd told him in no uncertain terms that Hell would freeze over before she gave him an apology. _He insinuates that I'm some kind of whore and_ I'm _the one who has to apologize? Boyfriend of the Year material right there, Jory. You really picked a winner,_ she thought to herself derisively. _I guess the old adage is true - bros before hos._

Shaking her head, Jory looked at her reflection in the rear-view mirror. "Bitch, you better _focus,_ " she told herself sternly. "You did not come this far to fall on your face at the finish line. Get it together."

Killing the ignition, cutting off the Hoobastank song on the radio, Jory got out of the car. There were handfuls of people gathered on both sides of the barricades. Some cheered for her, some were firmly on Team Sasha Banks. Some shouted words of encouragement, others told her they wanted Sasha to mop the canvas with her. Jory greeted them with smiles as she rounded the car, grabbing her suitcase from the trunk. She stopped for selfies and sign autographs, accepting people's kind words before she walked into the arena.

This was a big night for her, the biggest night of her career so far. Since the days of the Divas division had died, Jory had found herself floundering in the "Women's Evolution". This was her chance to find a good spot in the door and kick it in. She'd had brand new gear made. She'd upped her workouts, readjusted her diet, and even hit up her local wrestling school to practice new moves to add to her arsenal. She was doing everything she needed to succeed, all while confronting the ugly truth that some would dismiss her victory as a benefit of her friendship with Baron.

All she wanted to do was prove that she was a Hall of Fame worthy competitor. She wanted to prove that she could succeed on her own, but it felt like there was always some kind of outside force messing with her, undermining her attempts. At the end of the day, she wanted to have the kind of career that Trish Stratus had, that Lita and Victoria and Molly had. Jordana Moody wanted the kind of career that would inspire the next generation of girls to put on a pair of boots, the way that the girls before her had done for her.

She thought about the developing situation with Baron, and she sighed as she walked into the arena. Absolute power was corrupting Baron absolutely, and he was getting to the point where nobody could tell him anything. He had fallen down the rabbit hole quickly, becoming Stephanie's prized pupil, right down to the language he used. Baron was always throwing barbs at her about Seth, while Seth was doing the same thing with her. With Baron, she could at least understand that Seth being jealous and belligerent had led to the situation, but with Seth, it felt like it was punishment for finding friends without him. But she couldn't wait around for him to notice her. She had a right to live her life while he was doing the same. But the suspicion that was circling her was draining her in ways she hadn't foreseen.

The worst part was that she was uncomfortable around Baron now. He relished his newfound power to destroy the lives of his colleagues, and currently, he'd been taking out his fury on Finn Balor, one of the most laid-back and well-loved men on the roster. But Finn wasn't going to allow Baron Corbin to push him around, and Jory couldn't say that Finn was in the wrong for that. Baron went looking for the fight; whatever happened afterward was of his own design.

As she walked down the hall, towards the women's locker room where she could drop off her bags, Jory realized that she was exhausted. She was tired of the political backstabbing and power plays. She was tired of being overworked but overlooked, by those she loved and those who signed her paychecks. Thinking about it, she realized it had been a long time since she'd had a vacation. She thought about broaching the subject with Baron; it seemed like a good idea to take a few weeks off, preferably before everything blew up in her face.

* * *

Baron leaned against the wall of the makeup area and watched Lindy Sue apply eye-shadow to Jory's lids. Her gear was brand new, in two pieces instead of her usual bodysuit. It was made of black vinyl, with violet and teal accents with crystal studding. The top was halter style with a deep, plunging square neckline that revealed a fair amount of the crystal bra she wore underneath. The crystals shimmered underneath the lights. Fishnet stockings, knee pads, and boots completed her look. Her hair was already done, the dark brown curls framing her face in beautiful waves.

It occurred to Baron that she looked ready for her match against Sasha Banks. As the acting General Manager, Baron couldn't come out and throw his support behind a specific opponent, but he was sure it was wrestling's worst kept secret that he was pulling for Jory. Stephanie had been right about her; despite everything they'd been through, Jory was a tenacious talent, someone he definitely wanted on his side. It wasn't a secret that things had been turbulent for her for a while, but he was sure once things finally came to a head with her and Seth that she would get back on track.

Lindy Sue noticed Baron, and she stopped what she was doing. Jory opened her eyes to find Baron, and it struck him that she didn't look all that happy to see him. He brushed it off quickly as nerves; this was the biggest match she'd had since _WrestleMania_ , and he knew she had to be feeling the pressure in the worst way.

"Hi, Baron," Lindy Sue greeted. Jory tacked a smile on her face. Baron adjusted the sleeve on his purple button-down shirt, flashing both women a smile as he pushed himself off the wall.

"What's up?" Jory asked.

"Not too much. Just getting everything in order for the show tonight. Do you have a minute to talk?" Baron asked. Jory shrugged.

"I'm not going anywhere - Lindy's not quite done yet," Jory told him. "Does it need to be in private?"

"Not at all," he told her. Crossing his arms over his chest, he rocked on his heels. "You know we've got Super Show Down coming up in Melbourne, right?"

She nodded. Jory wasn't on the card, but WWE was rolling out the red carpet for the event. She'd never been to Australia before, so she was disappointed she wasn't going. The furthest her travels had taken her to was Japan. It was her hope to one day wrestle on every continent.

"I know that it's kind of last minute, but win or lose tonight, I'd like you to come down and do some ambassador work with me," Baron told her. "There are a few functions I have to attend, some black-tie stuff that is so not my scene, and I think I'd feel better having you there."

"Baron..."

"If you need to run it by Seth and get him to sign off on it, that's fine. I understand..." Baron trailed off when he saw the fire flare up in her eyes at the mention of Seth's name. She snorted.

"I'm my own woman, Baron, and this is my career," she reminded him pointedly. He nodded. "I'll be in Melbourne. I'll book everything when I'm done here."

"Great." Baron clapped his hands together. "I mean it - black-tie. Make sure you bring something formal."

"Thanks for the head's up." Baron nodded.

"Good luck out there tonight. You've got this." He moved past the chair, stopping for a moment when he was beside her. "Alexa's already called the winner."

"Good to know." They bumped fists and Baron left her. Silent in her chair, Jory's stomach rolled with uneasiness. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something didn't feel right about this arrangement. The ominous feeling settled on her bones like a coat of slime, but she did the best she could to push it out of her head, falling into conversation with Lindy Sue about new eye shadow palettes she wanted to try.

* * *

Underneath the west wing stairwell of the arena, Seth was leaned against the wall closest to the stairs with Roman, the two men watching Dean wrap his hands in white tape. He was dressed for battle, in a black muscle shirt underneath a grey sleeveless hoodie that was unzipped and blue jeans. Seth and Roman were already dressed in their wrestling gear, Seth and Roman's dry hair tied back away from their faces in buns that rested at the nape of their necks. They watched Dean quietly, the silence thick in the air between the trio.

Seth could see the Intercontinental Championship at the finish line. All he had to do was reach out and take what was his. Failure was not an option here. While it was no secret that Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain were going to be standing at Eric's side, Seth felt more than confident with just Dean in his corner. Dean Ambrose was a wildcard; Dean's brand of unpredictability could easily trump Sanity's brand of chaos when it counted, every day of the week. Seth was willing to stake everything on that belief, and in the matter of a few hours, it was what he would be doing.

For a moment he thought about Jory, who had the biggest match of her career later on in the evening against Sasha Banks. He promised her that he'd track her down when she got to the arena, but he was pretty sure it was going to have to wait until after their matches were over. There was a brief thought in his head to text her good luck, but she was still upset with him over the whole thing with Dean.

He firmly believed her reaction had been excessive; after all, Dean had been joking. There was no need to fly off the handle. But she had, and when he'd broached apologizing, she'd made it clear it wasn't going to happen. Dean didn't care, but Seth didn't think it was right. Ever since he'd suggested she apologize, every text message he'd sent her had been met with short, one word replies.

 _What kind of messages do you think Baron sends her? What do you think she tells him?_ The thought invaded Seth's head sharply, and he clenched his jaw. Baron had effectively driven a wedge between them, and he had no idea how to right the ship when she was so determined to stay friends with the sycophant. Seth believed Jory was a smart woman, but she was acting incredibly stupid with Baron. He knew calling her out on it would only make things worse than they already were. He was doing his best to stay out of it and let her learn the lesson for herself, but he wanted to intervene so bad.

"Earth to Rollins? Bro, wake the fuck up."

"Huh?" Seth blinked, his focus snapping to Dean, who shook his head. He threw the cardboard in his hand to the left, not looking where it landed. The annoyance was written all over Dean's face. Seth could see the irritation shining in Dean's blue eyes.

"Focus. Jesus fucking..." Dean shook his head. "I can't believe you, man. You've changed."

"What?" Seth shook his head, his expression growing dark. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means the old Seth Rollins would never let a bitch invade his headspace like this. You got a match tonight - pay attention."

"Dude, don't call her a bitch. That's not cool," Roman chimed in. Dean shot him a look and Roman put his hands up, shaking his head. "Sorry, Deano, but if you wouldn't like us talking about Renee that way, you gotta show Seth's woman the same respect."

"You should be worrying about Strowman tonight, _bro_ , not my choice of words," Dean told him pointedly. Roman smirked.

"Oh, don't you worry about Strowman. I got one for him," Roman assured Dean, raising his fist.

"Good." Dean turned his attention to Seth. Reaching out, he shoved him. Seth staggered back, surprised. " _You_ need to get your head in the fucking game, or EY and his boys are going to fuck your shit up tonight." He shook his head in what Seth registered as disgust. "Deal with the pussy problems later. Right now's the time to focus or those guys are going to run over you _again_ , and I don't know about you, but I don't wanna hear it if you lose tonight." Dean backed away from Seth. "I'm gonna get something to eat. See you out there. Get it together."

Before Seth and Roman could say anything, Dean was gone, through the door. They watched the heavy steel shut behind him in silence, Roman breaking the silence with a sigh when the door clicked shut behind Dean.

"He's different now," Roman observed. Seth looked over at him.

"You're noticing that, too, huh?"

For the first time since Dean's return, Seth found himself wondering just how trustworthy Dean Ambrose was. The Shield was a brotherhood; Seth loved Roman and Dean like they were blood brothers. The idea of losing them again hit him like a boot in the chest, knocking him breathless momentarily. But it was clear there was something bubbling just beneath Dean's surface, something that was threatening to explode at some point. Who he planned on directing that bile at was the mystery.

Dean Ambrose wasn't the same man he'd been when he'd gone down with his injury, and everyone could see it. The new Dean Ambrose was someone Seth and Roman didn't recognize, a far more reactive and agitated man. He was more aloof, more defensive and quicker to anger. The word "lunatic", once used to sell his merchandise, had now become his berserk button, the word he hated to hear the most.

"He'll come around," Roman assured Seth. "But he's right. You gotta get your head in the game. Young and his boys aren't coming to play - they're coming to win."

Seth nodded. "I'm reading you - and him - loud and clear."

"Don't forget it." Roman shook his head. He looked at the door Dean had disappeared through and sighed. "We'll get a cold one in him at the end of the night and he'll be good as new. Beer always says what words can't with that guy."

* * *

Jory walked through the curtains with sagged shoulders and hot tears burning behind her eyelids. She could hear Sasha's music blaring on the other side of the curtains. In her mind, she could see the celebration Sasha was having in the ring. She could picture the violet-haired competitor standing on the second rope in the corner, holding the title high over her head, slapping the front plate possessively.

It had been a hard-fought match, maybe the hardest fight Jory had ever given an opponent. Both women had given it everything they had, but at the end of it all, Sasha had wanted it just a little bit more. Sasha had something to prove; it was the first time in her illustrious career on the main roster that she'd been able to successfully retain her title in a defense. She could win them no problem, and she was racking up championships like a Hall of Fame talent, but keeping it around her waist had proven to be her Achilles heel. But tonight, at Jory's expense, Sasha had done it, and in twenty-four hours she'd be walking into _Raw_ with the Women's Championship around her waist.

Jory had lost; having to accept that nobody was responsible for this but her left her feeling a mixture of anger and depression. Quietly she'd accepted the handshakes and kind words from the producers and agents and even Vince McMahon himself. Everyone had been happy with the match, but all Jory could see was her failure. Their happiness did little to soothe her fractured ego.

Stepping through the black curtain, she wasn't at all surprised to find that Seth wasn't there waiting for her, but it was just an extra kick in a night full of lows.

Baron was there, however, armed with a smile and a sandwich bag full of ice. "Hey. I saw you fell kinda hard during the home stretch there, so I thought you could use this," he greeted. She offered him a tight smile, taking the ice pack from him and placing it on the back of her burning neck, wincing as the cold made contact with her sweaty flesh.

"Thanks."

"I want you to head to the trainer's room and get yourself looked at. Just in case," he told her. "That was a really bad spill."

"I will before the night is over," she promised softly. "Right now, though...I think I just need to be alone for a bit."

Baron studied her, _really_ looked her over, and he nodded. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I get it. For the record, it could have gone either way out there. This doesn't define you. You aren't weak. You'll bounce back like you always do."

She nodded. It was hard to ignore the feeling that the words coming out of his mouth should have been coming from Seth. "Thank you, Baron."

"Do what you need to do, but get yourself looked after. If you don't, I won't be able to clear you for _Raw_ tomorrow night." She nodded.

"Do I need to bring you a doctor's note?" she asked. Baron snorted.

"I can talk to him, smart-ass," he told her, nudging her with his shoulder. She pursed her lips together, forcing her lips to curve in a smile that felt crooked and broken. Still holding the ice on the back of her neck she took a step back, examining Baron before she turned and walked away. Baron watched her leave before he went to find Seth Rollins. Talking to Jory had given him an idea, a great idea about his upcoming match with Eric Young.

* * *

" _Heeey, Bayley!"_

Unscrewing the cap on her water bottle, Bayley turned, sipping her water as her eyes fell on Seth's approaching figure. It was hard for The Kingslayer to be in a terrible mood; for once, Baron's attempt to stack the deck against him had led to great things. It had led to Seth emerging victorious and reclaiming the Intercontinental Championship. Bayley couldn't help but grin at the swagger in his step. His smile was bright enough to light the arena. Replacing the cap on her water bottle, Bayley moved quick, launching herself into Seth's arms. "Hey! You did it! Congratulations!"

"Thanks," he said with a laugh. They were quiet for a moment. "Has anyone ever told you that you give the best hugs?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, duh. That's kind of my thing," she reminded him. He tightened his embrace momentarily before pulling away from her. She wasn't wrestling on the card, so Bayley was dressed in a burgundy dress and a black blazer, her brown hair out of its trademark side ponytail. "I'm a hugger, remember?" They shared a laugh. Seth reached past her and grabbed a bottle of water for himself.

"Have you seen Jory around? I haven't been able to meet up with her since I got here," he lamented. Seth's eyes narrowed slightly as he saw the light fade from Bayley's smile. He felt a lump form in his chest, a hard and rigid feeling that was hard to swallow. "Is she okay?"

"No...well, yeah. I mean, she's not headed to the hospital or anything, but..." Bayley trailed off, something inside her brain clicking. Seth could almost hear the wheels turning inside her head. "You didn't see her match with Sasha?"

"I missed it," Seth confessed. "I was going over everything with the guys. What happened?"

"She lost."

"Shit." That was the last thing he wanted to hear.

"Yeah. She's pretty devastated," Bayley told him. "I haven't seen her since she went out of the match. I think she's making herself scarce. I have no idea where she could be. I wish I had an answer for you, but I got nothing."

"It's all good," Seth assured her with a sigh. "I have a feeling I know where she is if she isn't with the trainer. Thanks, Bayley."

"No problem. She could probably use you right now." Seth nodded.

"Thanks."

"Congratulations again. Give Jory a hug for me."

"Will do." Seth gave Bayley a slight touch on the shoulder as he moved past her, making his way towards the back area of the arena. Bayley watched him go, sipping her water. Nights like this had her hating the fact that she was friends with both the champion and challenger. While she wanted to cajole and comfort Jory, she knew that Sasha was expecting her to go out and celebrate with her and the guys. "The Boss" wasn't just a persona when it came to Sasha Banks; it was a mindset, a way of life. In the ring and out of it, she commanded respect, something she'd seen and admired growing up with her famous cousin. She took all those lessons and brought them to pro wrestling. As a result, Bayley always had a hard time saying no to Sasha. With "The Boss" successfully retaining her title for the first time, Bayley knew there was no way she wasn't spending the night out with her friend. She just wished there was something she could do to make Jory feel better.

* * *

Seth found Jory sitting alone in the underground parking garage, still dressed in her brand-new ring gear. She sat on a black and silver trunk, her legs crooked so her entire body fit on the surface. He noticed she was holding an ice pack to the back of her neck. She sat with her back to him, staring out at the cars, ambulances, and production trucks. Jory was oblivious to his presence behind her, lost so deep in thought, her mind going over every single mistake she'd made earlier in the night in her match against Sasha.

From where he stood, he could feel the disappointment and devastation radiating from her. He didn't have to talk to her to know that she was gutted by the loss; she'd been putting everything she had into this match. Ever since Mick Foley defied Stephanie and gave Jory a chance to shine, she'd been putting an extreme amount of pressure on herself to succeed, to prove that she could climb to the top of the mountain without Hunter and Stephanie throwing their weight behind her. The fear of failure was her greatest motivator; now, on the other side of the match, she had to accept that she'd come up short, that on this night her best hadn't been good enough. Seth had been there before; it was a terrible feeling. Defeating Stephanie was in the rear-view mirror now; while it was an important part of Jory's redemption arc, they both knew that she couldn't ride on that wave forever.

Since leaving The Authority, Seth's personal and professional life had ignited in ways he'd never imagined. It left him grateful every day. Ever since leaving The Shield, it seemed like every decision he made was the right one, even The Authority. It was hard to argue his time as the face of the company had been a waste; even on the other side of it, he was still managing to land on his feet. While he felt terrible that Jory was constantly running headfirst into disappointment, he couldn't be there for her the way that she needed. It was the risk they ran being together; he had his own career to focus on, and at the moment it was thriving too much for him to step back and guide her to the top with him. He wanted to feel guilty; he did want Jory to thrive as much as he was, but he understood the nature of the business. It could be cold and cruel, and often there wasn't a happy ending. There was no rhyme or reason to it.

Turning her head, she released a sigh as Seth approached. He took his place beside the trunk, but they didn't make a move on each other. At that moment, Jory realized that Seth Rollins was the _last_ person she wanted to see; the fact that he was beaming with the Intercontinental Championship over his shoulder only succeeded in making her feel worse.

"Hey."

"Hey." There was no sign of life behind her words. Her lips were pursed in a thin line. All she wanted to do was finish out the show, hop in her car, make it to the next town, and crawl under the hotel blankets and hide until she had to report to _Raw_ the following afternoon. Her eyes fell on the title and Seth watched her lips quirk up in a slight smile. "Congrats."

"Thanks." His smile grew wider. "I don't know what I would have done without Ambrose tonight. That guy really came through in the clutch."

"That's great," she murmured. She turned her attention back to the parking space. It was Seth's turn to sigh.

"I'm sorry about your night, Jory," he offered. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. She let out a sound that resembled an agitated sigh as his skin made contact with hers.

"Whatever. There's always next time, right?"

"Right." Both of them knew that there was very little truth to her statement. Jory's loss had effectively thrown her to the back of the line. Once again she was going to have to scratch and claw her way back into the championship picture. Now, Alexa Bliss got to leapfrog over her to the front of the line. It would be Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss for the Women's title at the super-card in Australia in a few weeks. _Maybe the truth is that I'm just not cut out for this business. Maybe Stephanie and Hunter have been right about me all along,_ she thought glumly. _Maybe I can't succeed without them._ The thought hit her quickly, without warning, and the thought of giving it all up and accepting their evaluation of her left her disoriented.

It was hard to ignore the feeling she was becoming increasingly unhappy with her position, with the way her life and her relationships were going. What bothered her the most about her current situation was how helpless she seemed to be when it came to pulling herself out of the downward spiral.

Seth leaned against the trunk. "I don't know about you, but I think we got some ice cream and _American Horror Story_ in our futures tonight," he told her. It was his hope that he could make her feel better by offering her their tried and true way of coping with stressful nights. His smile faltered when her face crinkled.

"You don't want that. Go celebrate."

He blinked. "What are you talking about? Of course, I want that. When the show's over, we can head to the next town together, arm up on ice cream...some of my best worst nights have been with you," he blurted. She looked at him, and he found himself staring into her eyes. The exhaustion and sadness were obvious, given the events of her evening, but there was something else in her mint orbs that he couldn't place. "Jory..."

The ringer on his phone cut him off mid-sentence, and the two of them sighed with irritation at the interruption. Looking down at the ice pack in her hands, Seth turned his attention to his phone, his eyes scanning the alert. He snorted with disgust. "Yeah, I should have fucking known."

"What?"

"Eric went to your boy and invoked his rematch." The mention of Baron being "her boy" made her stare turn into a glare. If she'd even been entertaining the idea of spending the night licking her wounds with Seth, it was gone. Anger ebbed in her veins; "her boy". Dean making comments. The fact that she constantly felt like she was on trial for her friendship with Baron made her feel like Seth didn't trust her. Had Dean put these ideas in his head, or was it a collaborative effort with the locker room? She wasn't sure, but she hated this attitude that everything she had was a result of Baron.

Instead of speaking, she remained silent, her jaw clenched. The last thing she wanted to do was end her night by having the mother of all arguments with Seth backstage. "It looks like he's signed off on the match, but it won't be until the show in Melbourne."

"Ah."

"It's too bad you aren't going. I was hoping we could do some sightseeing together. I know you've never been to Australia..."

"I guess we could. I just have to look at my schedule." Seth shot her a look. "I found out tonight I'm going down there to do some ambassador work.

"Jory..."

"Yo!"

They turned their attention to Roman, who approached them quickly. His match was the last on the card, and it was coming up in the next twenty minutes or so. For a guy facing the pressure of closing out the match card, Roman appeared incredibly relaxed. As he got closer, his movements became slower, and Jory realized that he could sense the tension between her and Seth. His movements were very self-aware, very deliberate.

"Hey, bro," Seth greeted.

"Hey, Seth. Jory, great job out there tonight - you really brought it," Roman told her. She offered him a sad smile. "There's always next time, right?"

"Right." Just like that, their exchange was over. Roman turned his attention to Seth, and his smile grew wide. "Congratulations on the win out there tonight, man. You got any plans after the show? Because I'm thinking we should totally go out and do it up."

 _I'm right here_ , Jory thought glumly.

"Actually, Jory and I..."

"He doesn't. He has no plans."

Seth's head whipped to Jory, his eyes widening slightly. He watched her as she got off the trunk and grabbed her ice pack, sticking it on the back of her neck. "He's all yours."

"Jory..."

"Have fun in the winner's circle," she told him. The venom in her voice hit Seth in the chest, a direct hit that made him wince, but before he could say anything else, Jory was walking out of his line of sight. It was only moments before she was gone.

She didn't turn back to look at him once.


	15. No Light

**Chapter 14:**

 **No Light**

* * *

Eric Young spotted him warming up alone, far removed from everyone, and his smile grew a mile wide.

His entire motivation for coming up with Killian and Alexander from NXT was to throw a stick of dynamite into the status quo and watch the world around them burn. He wanted panic, chaos, and disorder; he wanted to decimate and desecrate the pillars on which the professional wrestling industry stood so he could rebuild it into his own vision. Sanity wanted a new WWE, a place that was far more cutthroat and uncomfortable than its current iteration, and while they had been force-fed the bitter meal of defeat here and there, Eric was overall satisfied with the progress that they were making.

The Shield was the most dominant faction to hit WWE since the heyday of D-Generation X, an indestructible force. Unlike The Nexus, the Shield hadn't gone supernova, and they weren't a comedy act like 3MB. They weren't watered down versions of superior products like The New Nexus and The Corre; The Shield was the real deal, with each member being just as strong apart as they were together. It didn't matter if the men went off and did their own thing; somehow, some way, the trio always ended up back together.

It wasn't personal, going after The Shield. It was purely business in Eric's mind. It was what was best for business, but more importantly for Eric, it was fun. Seth Rollins was proving to be a worthy adversary, but Eric knew that Seth's victories were coming with very personal costs and very real consequences. All three men could fight as hard as they wanted to, but Eric knew it was only a matter of time before everything came together the way that Sanity had designed.

Sensing a new presence in his solitary environment, Dean Ambrose turned, his blue eyes narrowing at the sight of Sanity, his fists falling to his sides. The trio approached him with a confident swagger in their step and sinister smiles on their faces. Dean remained in place, showing no fear whatsoever at the men in front of him. He was already in his black riot gear, the Shield staple.

Eric liked Dean. He would gladly admit it to anyone who asked. Like Eric, Dean was an agent of chaos, someone who thrived on ultra-violence and unpredictability. He was a square peg in a round hole, the scrappy young kid from Cincinnati who made it this far on his drive and ambition. Eric thought Dean would be a perfect edition for Sanity.

"What do you boneheads want?" Dean greeted wearily. Eric raised his hands in surrender as they got closer to him.

"Not here to fight with you, Deano," Eric told him. "On the contrary, man. We came to see how you're doing tonight. We saw you and your little buddy Seth Rollins have The Revival in the main event." Dean didn't respond. "Does it feel weird?"

"Does what feel weird?"

"You know..." Eric shrugged. Dean's eyes narrowed further. "You know. I mean, Seth is the Intercontinental Champion. Roman's the Universal Champion. And you...you're just..."

"You're just kinda there," Alexander cut in. Dean snorted, shaking his head as he chuckled softly to himself.

"Is that why you're here? You're here to work some kind of psychology bullshit on me?" he asked. Dean shook his head, grinning. "I see what you guys are doing. You think you're just gonna find me here by myself and make me think about how jealous I am of my brothers, and somehow that's just going to work." He shook his head. "You got the wrong guy. You want someone who's into doing that kinda shit, you should be talking to Rollins."

Eric grinned. "We aren't trying to do anything. But I am curious - was this your master plan when you came back from your career-threatening injury, Dean? To just sit on the sideline and play cheerleader for the men you call brothers?"

Dean laughed. "I do what I want, when I want. That's all any of you guys need to know." With a cheeky smile, Dean moved around them, walking away from them without turning back. It was gutsy, not looking over his shoulder at the three men who had verbally ambushed him in a spot where he was completely alone, but Dean didn't care.

Eric and his cohorts watched Dean disappear down the hallway. A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. He shifted towards Killian. "Did I mention I like this fucking guy?"

* * *

"Ugh. Where the hell did I leave my charger?"

Jory ran a hand through her hair as she straightened her posture, eyes darting around her hotel room for the metallic blue curler. Outside, the sun was beginning to disappear behind the horizon, leaving the sky a hazy, streaky mixture of orange, pink, and blue. With an aggravated grunt, she turned her attention back to the bed in her hotel room, her eyes falling on the open suitcase in the middle of the bed. She put her hands on her hips and huffed. She went to check the bathroom, silently hoping to herself that she hadn't left it at the arena; if she had, there was no way she was going back to the arena. As it was, she was sure Baron had security stationed at all the exits in case she tried to sneak her way into the building.

Baron. Just his name alone had her nerves vibrating with anger.

She was exhausted with the men in her life. Every last one of them, maybe save for her father. After their exchange the night before, when she'd ushered him into the celebratory arms of his brothers, Jory had returned to her hotel room for a quiet night in with an ice pack and _American Horror Story_. She'd fallen asleep without him, waking up to find a curt text from him that he was staying with Roman for the night. She didn't bother answering. She had her suspicions that he didn't come back because he didn't want to talk with her about why she was so frustrated with him and with being his girlfriend.

It didn't take her long to decide that she wasn't going to let the insanity with Seth define her day. She took two Advil tablets for the pain in her neck and went about her usual routine alone. She had a good workout in the hotel gym with Bayley, where they talked about the upcoming trip to Australia. Then she cleaned up and got changed so she could be whisked away in a black sedan to a local radio station to promote the evening's event. After that, she found a quaint little bistro where she stopped and got something quick to eat.

It had all been going so well that she should have known the other shoe would drop when she got to the arena. Baron had met her, concerned. He took her back to his office, where the medical staff was waiting. It was there that he'd dropped the bombshell that he was keeping her off TV for the time being so she could rest up her neck. She'd sprained something; she'd only half-heard the doctor's explanation. Once she'd heard time off, she'd gone into defensive mode, doing everything in her power to try and get someone to clear her.

After the doctor's left, it had been a free-for-all with Baron Corbin. She'd begged and pleaded with him to overrule the doctors, but Baron wasn't having any part of it. In her frustration, she'd lashed out, but Baron was ready to serve it back to her. In the end, he'd sent her back to her hotel to "cool off", which somehow made her angrier.

Now, she was packing her things; she'd traded in her morning flight for a red-eye, and she was going back to Chicago. Back to her home and to her own bed. It was the longest possible time before she had to see Baron and Seth again, and it was her intention to take full advantage of it.

She was pulled from her thoughts when her phone went off on the mattress. Jory picked up the phone and looked at the screen. She put her free hand on her hip. _Ugh. Just…ugh._

 _I know you're upset right now, but we're doing this with your best interests at heart. Call me when you've cooled down and we'll talk._

"Get bent," she told the phone, throwing it down on the mattress while she moved to search for her missing charger. To her relief, she found it behind the computer desk. Reaching underneath to pick it up, she brought it over to her suitcase and dropped it inside one of the compartments.

For the rest of the evening she was done talking. Jory was done with the men who made decisions about her career and her life and just expected her to like it. She was done with being jerked around. Closing her suitcase, she zipped it quick and pulled it off the bed, pulling up the handle so she could drag it behind her. The front desk was already aware that she was going to be checking out early; she had to be at the airport within the next twenty minutes to make it through all the screenings and searches.

Sliding into her ballet slippers, Jory put on her Blackcraft hoodie and pulled the hood up over her head. Tomorrow morning she'd be waking up in her own bed while some of her colleagues flew home, and while others went to their next stop. She didn't care; as long as she was as far away as she could get from Seth Rollins and Baron Corbin, she didn't care.

* * *

 _I know you hate to admit it, Rollins, but maybe Jory's been right all along._

It was a jarring thought, the kind of revelation that could knock a drunk man into sobriety. As Seth walked down the halls of the arena, greeting everyone with smiles and handshakes, he found his mind in overdrive. For the past half-hour he'd been walking around, nursing a bottle of water, hoping he'd find Jory somewhere, but she wasn't in any of her usual hiding spots. He wasn't yet in his ring gear, dressed in black skinny jeans and a Black and Brave T-shirt underneath a black blazer, his hair pulled back into a messy bun at the nape of his neck. He sipped his water, eyes scanning his surroundings.

She was angry. Roman noticed it, and he definitely noticed it. It didn't seem to matter what he did anymore; he could never make her happy. Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, he checked his phone, hoping that she'd responded to his text message, but his hopes were dashed when he looked at the screen. She was ignoring him. He'd have to make it up to her somehow, but he had no idea how he was going to do that. _My luck, I'll make the attempt and somehow make everything infinitely worse,_ Seth thought to himself bitterly.

Sanity had ruined everything. He'd lost his focus, and he'd fallen off the ball in every facet of his professional and private life. It wasn't just Jory, either; Seth had the feeling like Dean was angry with him, but it was hard to tell if it was just Dean being Dean or if there really was something to be worried about. For as long as he'd known Ambrose he'd been an odd duck, doing whatever whenever, his moods changing depending on which direction the breeze blew. But the new Dean Ambrose that had returned to the company from injury was far more unstable and mercurial. Seth felt like he was on eggshells whenever he was in Dean's presence.

"Hey, Seth!"

Pulled from his thoughts, he spotted Bayley stirring a cup of coffee, dressed in a maroon dress, her hair not yet in her trademark side ponytail. Seth smiled at her, approaching, and the two forewent the handshake in exchange for a hug. "Hey." He pulled back and moved past her to throw his empty water bottle into the recycling bin and fix himself a cup of coffee. "Have you seen Jory around? I haven't been able to find her anywhere."

Bayley sipped her coffee, brown eyes wide. "Oh, you didn't hear?"

"Didn't hear what?"

"She's not here," Bayley told him. "Some kind of thing happened with her, Baron, and the medical staff, and they sent her back to the hotel. I think it has to do with that neck bump last night. But she's _pissed_. I don't know if I've ever seen her so angry. She packed up her things and left. She's not in the building."

"Shit." Seth huffed, stirring his coffee. "I was hoping to talk to her. I haven't spoken to her since last night."

"Is everything okay?" she asked. Seth sighed.

"I don't even know anymore," he confessed. "How much has she told you?"

"Nothing. She doesn't tell me anything about the two of you behind closed doors." Bayley sipped her coffee. "She doesn't really talk about you at all," she added sheepishly. Seth nodded. "Is everything okay?"

"I don't know. We're worlds apart at the moment, and I just don't know how to fix it. I'm not even sure I can."

"I'm sure you can," Bayley assured him with a smile. "You guys have been go-go-go and in the middle of chaos for so long that it's bound to take something out of you." Seth nodded, but she got the sense that he didn't really believe her. "Aaron and I kind of had that a little while ago, and we decided to go on a break. It's been pretty good for the both of us so far. It's kind of giving us a chance to step back, breathe, and take stock in what's really important."

"I don't want to break up with Jory…"

"It's not breaking up. It's just…taking some time away from each other. Living life on your own for a bit. I mean, I'm not an expert, but maybe taking a step back and recharging your batteries might just be the thing you and Jory need to get back on the same page."

Seth still didn't look convinced. "I don't know. But thanks for the thought." He sipped on his coffee. "I need to go find Deano. We've got The Revival tonight. I'll try getting in touch with Jory after and see if she's answering her messages."

"You could try, but I doubt it. She was _really_ mad," Bayley emphasized. Seth nodded.

"Thanks, Bayley. If she messages you, let me know."

"I will. Good luck out there tonight."

He nodded, holding his cup out towards her briefly before he turned and walked away, sipping his coffee. Bayley watched him leave, her lips pulled into a sad smile. It was hard to see both her friends so miserable. All she wanted was for both of them to be happy with each other.

* * *

Seth's eyes opened, squinting at the sight of the fluorescent lights beating down on him.

It took him a moment to register The Revival's music blaring in his ears through the arena speakers, and it took him a few moments more to realize that he'd actually lost the match, that he had eaten the pinfall and lost the match for the team. With a disappointed sigh, Seth sat up slowly, punching the canvas with his left fist.

He turned his attention to the video screen at the top of the stage, his eyes going wide when he saw Dean hit him. It was hard to tell if it was an accident, but after he'd been hit, Dean jumped off the apron and made his way backstage, fingers wiggling against his chest as he moved and stretched his neck. Seth's eyes narrowed. _No. It couldn't have been on purpose. But why the fuck did he leave then? Ugh, my head…_

Rolling out of the ring underneath the bottom rope, Seth began walking up the ramp, his hand on the back of his neck. He was absolutely certain that he wasn't going to find Dean backstage. Looking over, he saw Renee seated at the commentary table, and she was doing everything in her power to avoid making eye contact with him. Shaking his head in disgust, Seth walked through the curtain, into Gorilla, and he walked straight through and away from management. Normally he'd stop, shake hands, hug, and listen to the kind words people had to say about his match, but tonight he wasn't interested in any of it. All he wanted to do was get his things, jump in his rental car, and head off to the next town. He was supposed to be traveling with Dean and Roman, but he was pretty sure now that he was traveling on his own.

With a defeated sigh, he walked into his locker room, making a beeline for his bag in the back corner. The year had started off so good; he was still struggling to understand how everything had gone sideways so fast. Everyone seemed mad at him. He shook his head. _Maybe I haven't entirely been forgiven for what I did that night to Dean and Roman. Maybe I've been stupid to think that Dean would ever forgive me._

There was another little voice in the back of his head that said it was probably an accident and Dean just left because he figured the match was lost. It was easy to write off Dean's behavior as Dean Ambrose being Dean Ambrose. But there was a new, slimy feeling that clung to Seth's bones that said maybe he shouldn't be so trusting with his brothers moving forward.

Dean had left him. He really left Seth out there to fend for himself against The Revival. Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson were two of the best tag team wrestlers in the business, and Dean had left him. It was a hard shot to his pride; it left his ego stinging and his anger ebbing and flowing, threatening to blow over at a moment's notice. It was at that moment he wished he had Jory with him to talk him down, to hug him and kiss him and tell him that things would work out. But she wasn't there. She was never there anymore.

He slid on one of his T-shirts and grabbed his suitcase, storming out of the arena. The entire way to his car, he didn't see Dean. He didn't even see Roman. He wondered if they'd left together without him. The three of them were supposed to ride together; now, staring out at the parking lot, Seth realized that their rental car was gone. He sighed. "This night just keeps getting better and better," he grumbled. Reaching into his suitcase, he pulled out his phone from the front compartment and sent Bayley a text.

 _Looks like I've been ditched. Can I get a ride with you tonight?_

Her reply was almost instant. _Of course! I'm just finishing up, and I'll be right with you. Meet you in the parking lot._

Seth sighed. "Well…at least somebody likes me." Shoving his phone back into his suitcase, he found a trunk and sat down on it, sitting and waiting for Bayley to come and save him.

* * *

" _And that was the day that I promised that I'd never sing of love if it does not exist, but darling, you, are, the only exception. You, are, the only exception…"_

Jory leaned back against her seat, tilting her head to look out the window of the plane. It was a beautiful, clear night, but the bright round moon in the sky did nothing to lift her spirits. She smiled sadly to herself; her dad and Tabitha were willing to stay up late and pick her up from the airport, so she didn't have to catch a cab. Jory shook her head and sighed, thankful that her night was just about over. Baron had tried calling when she got into her rental car; Seth had tried sending another text. She shut her phone off and shoved it into her suitcase. Jory Moody was done with talking for the night; all she wanted to do was go home.

 _How long do you plan on being miserable, Jory? Forever? Shit._ Jory shut her eyes and shook her head. _I know you think you love him, honey, but sometimes love just isn't enough to save everything_. Opening her eyes, Jory looked out at the tarmac. She wished she could shut off her thoughts like a faucet.

She was aware that Seth had been letting her down consistently since Sanity came to the roster and disrupted the ebb and flow of _Raw_. She was the one equation that didn't seem to fit inside his crowded universe. She still clung to the old memories of curling up in front of laptop with ice cream, introducing him to the world of _American Horror Story_ , while Seth explained _Game of Thrones_ to her. _Maybe I haven't been doing things right. Maybe I haven't been as supportive as I should be. I'm sure there's some things here that are my fault. But how much longer can I keep being okay with being cast aside, pulled in, and then cast aside again? It's not fair. None of this is fair. I hate it._

Jory blinked back a fresh well of tears. She was so angry she wasn't sure if she wanted to yell, scream, cry, or do all three. She was beginning to feel like nobody was seeing her anymore, let alone taking her seriously. But she was coming up short. She was coming up short as a girlfriend, as a friend, as a competitor.

 _You tried to be the best girlfriend you could be. He just quit making room for you,_ she reminded herself. She thought about Dean Ambrose, about the little barbs he'd thrown at her. "Boys club". Insinuating that she'd slept with Baron. _Remember that? Seth thought_ you _needed to apologize to Dean, not the other way around. How fucked up is that? Bros before hos, right? Seth seems to believe that._

The voice on the intercom told everyone to prepare for takeoff. Jory was already fastened into her seat. _Whatever._ _I'm going home. If I had any sense at all, I wouldn't come back._


	16. End of the Road

**Chapter 15:**

 **End of the Road**

* * *

Holding onto her high heels by the straps with her left hand, Jory made her way down the hallway towards her hotel room with an exhausted swagger in her step. She was thankful her day was almost over. It had been a long day, starting with her landing at the Melbourne airport at two in the morning. She'd made it to her hotel room and got four hours of sleep before she was up to sneak in a quick workout. Then, she had to get dressed and make herself a cup of coffee before she was whisked away to do a radio interview, followed by a newspaper interview. Then, it was sneaking in a quick lunch before she had to go and get her hair, nails, and makeup done for the charity auction supporting the Royal Children's Hospital. She had autographed some trading cards, ring gear, and posters for the event.

Overseas flights always exhausted her but landing and being on the move almost right away had depleted what little reserve she had left. Three cups of coffee hadn't helped her; the two glasses of wine she'd nursed during the whole event only seemed to add to the drowsiness she felt. Jory wasn't even sure she had the energy to shower and wash her face; she had visions of waking up in a bed of bobby pins, with a face-mask of makeup implanted in the pillow.

She rubbed her face with her free hand and yawned. Seth had been sending her text messages all day, trying to get a handle on her location and what her plans were. They'd been bickering back and forth via text; he wanted to meet up with her, but she didn't have the time. He didn't seem to understand that just because she wasn't cleared to perform, didn't mean that she didn't have things she had to do. She was sure his sudden interest in her every mode had everything to do with the fact that she was Baron's date for the event.

Jory didn't want to admit it, but she was glad the night was over and she was away from Baron. He'd been a gentleman, but he did seem to find every excuse to put an arm around her, or put a hand on her shoulder, or stand too close. He must have taken a hundred pictures of the two of them together; she was sure that he reached the limit of posting for Instagram stories. It left her feeling unsettled; he normally wasn't so openly affectionate or public. It was strange, and she knew it wasn't going to make her life any easier with her peers, or even with Seth. She wished Kurt was back at the helm, overseeing the land of the red brand; maybe then she could have her friend back, the tattooed metalhead with the kind smile and childish enthusiasm for haunted places. She missed that Baron. The new man in his place was unrecognizable.

Jory stopped when she spotted Seth leaned against the wall in front of her hotel room, scrolling through his phone. He looked up from the screen and spotted her, his eyes narrowing. "How long have you been waiting?" she asked.

"Long enough." Jory pulled the key card out from her bra and moved past him, unlocking the hotel room. Seth walked in behind her. Jory dropped her heels beside the computer desk and began picking at the bobby pins in her hair. Seth watched her closely. He was sure he could see a hint of a smile tugging at her glossy lips. The thought that she could be happy with Baron and not with him made the bubble of jealousy expand in his gut. He took her in, the little black dress that was so tight it may as well have been stitched on her. It showed off a good amount of leg and a flash of cleavage. "You wore that to a children's charity auction?" he asked. She looked at him, eyes narrowing.

"Yeah? What's wrong with it?" she asked. She'd picked the dress because it reminded her of the dress from _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ , only with a keyhole cut out. It didn't show off a lot; the dress was relatively conservative; Lana's dress had been far more revealing – at least Jory hadn't had to be taped into hers. She looked at Seth, and she realized there was so much he wanted to say to her. Exhausted, not wanting to have this talk, she decided to bite the bullet. "Whatever you've got to say, Seth, spit it out. I'm really tired."

"I saw _all_ the Instagram posts," he told her bitterly.

"Okay."

"Okay? That's all you have to say about it?" Seth asked her angrily. The tone of his voice told her that they were about to have an argument, and she wasn't looking forward to it. All night long, Jory had told herself that Baron posting photos and things to his Instagram stories had just been business, a promotional tool. Jory had a thought that Seth could have a problem with it, but she didn't think he was just sitting on his phone watching every update. Standing in front of him now, his jealousy raising its ugly head once more, Jory realized that she was past all of this. She sighed.

"What do you want me to say, Seth? I was at a charity event with the General Manager of my brand, who chose to post promotional pictures and Instagram stories to mark the occasion," she told him. She shook her head. "Jesus, you're making it sound like we were taking lewd pictures, instead of two friends taking selfies at a work event."

Seth crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't make me the asshole here, Jory."

"Then stop acting like one." It flew out of her mouth so fast, but once it was out, she couldn't take it back. _Oh, well. This night was gonna end on a terrible note anyway. In for a penny, in for a pound, right?_

Seth took a deep breath, but his face somehow got darker. "I'm only going to ask you this once, Jory, and don't you dare lie to me," he started. He took a step towards her, and she took a step back. "Are you in love with him?"

"What? No!"

"Are you fucking him?"

"Seth, you're being ridiculous…"

"Answer me!"

"Of course not!" she shot back angrily. Seth held up his phone.

"He had his hands _all over you_ ," Seth pointed out, shaking his head in disgust. "And it's not a secret here that we haven't touched each other in months!"

"Whose fault is that?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're never around for me to touch you. ' _I'm rooming with Roman tonight'. 'Off with Deano tonight'._ It's hard to touch anyone when they aren't around," she pointed out. She crossed her arms over her chest. Jory was pretty sure that Seth could tell she was shaking.

"I am the Intercontinental Champion. I've been furthering my career through hard work. I haven't been going to parties and getting felt up by the boss in front of _everybody_."

"Nobody got felt up by anyone!" Jory exclaimed, shaking her head. There was so much to unpack in his statement, but she left the statement about her career in the box for another time.

"I saw the pictures and the stories, Jory. What am I supposed to think?"

"Nothing. Because there is nothing going on," she told him angrily. Jory shook her head. "What the hell has happened to you? The jealousy…this isn't you. At least it wasn't when I knew Seth Rollins. But Dean Ambrose has always had a way with words, hasn't he?"

"You leave him out of this. This is between you and I."

"This is about you being jealous of Baron Corbin."

"Get the fuck out of here," Seth snorted. "This is about you being incredibly disrespectful…"

" _Disrespectful?"_ The word escaped Jory's mouth with a sharp laugh. " _I'm_ disrespectful?" She was incredulous.

"Incredibly disrespectful," Seth reiterated. "I asked you to stay away from him. I warned you that he was nothing but trouble. I told you I didn't trust him, and you treated me like some kind of asshole for having the audacity to tell you the truth…"

"You decided _months ago_ that you didn't give a damn about what I was doing, so who I chose to make friends with isn't your business, Seth. Do you tell me about every person you hang out with? Every _woman_ you hang out with?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Whatever the hell you want it to mean, Seth. It's open to interpretation, right?" She shook her head in disgust. "If I acted this insecure and jealous with you…"

"Jealous? Me? No, I'm not jealous – I'm pissed off," Seth told her. "Do you have any idea what it's like for me walking into work _every_ week to the whispers of what you're doing with the General Manager? That he's giving you all these opportunities because you're putting out for him? You're not touching me, so it's not that far of a leap…"

"You're never around." She shook her head. "Spare me this 'I've been wronged' bullshit, because if you felt so concerned about things, _you would be here with me_. It wouldn't be ' _Boys club, Jory'_ , ' _Don't wait up, Jory'_. You'd be here." Her face was crinkled in distaste. "If you wanted it so bad, you could, I don't know, be here to do it."

"Some of us have things to do. Some of us have championships and Grand Slam careers…" His words were another knife that cut through her. Seth could see the hurt in her eyes that came with him throwing her lack of momentum at her, but he was so angry that he was beyond compassion, too angry to know when to quit. "I _have_ to be the best. I can't rely on handouts, or getting buddy-buddy with management, or spreading my legs…"

"You. _Bastard_."

Her words were firm, angry, and they had the effect silencing Seth on the spot. As angry as she had ever been with him in their relationship, she never directly called him names. Sure, she told him when he was acting like an idiot, but never did she resort to labelling him with something vicious. But he'd crossed the line; he'd _wanted_ to cross that line.

Now, standing in front of him, her hands clenched at her sides, her hair half-out and sort of falling around her face, tears rolling down her cheeks, Seth realized that this was it. They'd reached the point of no return. This was the finish line on their course for disaster, and he'd hit the gas pedal to reach it first.

"How dare you?" she asked him, her words quiet but choked. She looked around her hotel room and she couldn't think of another time in her life where she'd felt more suffocated. They were quiet for a long time, Seth shamed into silence. She struggled to take a deep breath before she spoke again. "I have tried with you. I've tried. I said this was a bad idea, but you told me this was real. That you'd never felt this way about someone before. And I believed you. I wanted to believe you. I _trusted_ you. I fell for everything you said to me, and now look at us. _Look at us_ ," she choked out.

"Jory…"

"You got inside your own head, and I got to become your punching bag. I got to be silent while you humiliated me in front of everyone. Do you have any idea what it's like going to work with people looking at you like you're in some kind of an abusive relationship because you spend your time yelling at me and shoving me away from you?

"But I told everyone it wasn't you. That you were under a lot. I still tried to do everything I thought you would want me to do. You pushed me away with one hand and pulled me in with the other…" She shook her head, sniffling. "I wanted to be perfect for you. Because you helped me so much when nobody cared.

"But the second you got your _brotherhood_ back?" She shook her head, a choked sob escaping her. Seth moved towards her but she held up a hand to keep him in place. "You push me out of your universe until you need somebody to feel sorry for you when things don't go your way."

"That's not…"

"It's my turn to talk. You've said enough," she told him, angry eyes shining with tears. "You've said enough, and I'm just…I'm done."

"What?" Her words barely registered in his ears. "What did you say?"

"I said I'm done, Seth. I'm done waiting in the wings for a fraction of your time. I'm done with falling for the empty promises and the dangled carrots that maybe, just maybe, things can go back to what they used to be. I'm done hanging onto something that's been gone for months because I love you. It's not enough. It's never going to be enough." Her voice cracked, and it made Seth's heart skip a beat.

"Jory…"

"I hate you so much right now." She moved to make her way towards the door, to leave her own hotel room. Seth rushed after her, doing his best to stop her.

"Jory…"

"Don't touch me."

There was a sudden flare of indignation that welled in Seth out of nowhere. He backed away from her, hands raised. "Fine, Jory. Go to him, then."

And there it was. The last shred of resolve in her broke, and the heartbreak and pain that lay behind those green eyes hit Seth like a punch in the chest. But he hadn't been able to resist one last barb on her way out. He wanted the fight to keep going, wanted her to call him every name in the book. Instead, with a quivering lip and tears streaming down her face, she turned and left her own hotel room.

Seth stood alone in her hotel room for a moment, the weight of the situation crashing on him like a tidal wave. This was it; him and Jory were over. She'd left him. _You deserved this. What the fuck is wrong with you, man? How could you do this to her? She wasn't wrong, you know._

Out of nowhere, another thought hit him. _She loves you. She said she loves you. You guys could never find the guts to say it, but she said it now, but now it's over. Nice going, asshole._

Seth left the hotel room, hoping he could run and catch up to Jory, make some kind of Hail Mary pass that would save things. His gaze fell on her in the elevator, openly sobbing, and he felt like the world's biggest jerk. "Jory!"

The elevator door slid closed. Standing alone in the hallway, Seth shook his head.

"Fuck!"

* * *

Holding onto a plastic bucket full of ice with both hands, Elias moved slowly towards the elevator. After the nineteen-hour flight from America to Australia, he was exhausted. All he wanted to do was ice down his knee, brew a cup of tea, and fall asleep. It was going to be a long day; he had to be up early to do a radio appearance, followed by a morning news appearance. In between all that, he hoped to find some time to get a quick workout and finish writing the song he was going to perform in the middle of the ring tomorrow night at the arena. He'd tried to finish it on the plane, but writer's block had reared its ugly head. There was a part of him that was convinced Baron was going to cancel his performance tomorrow when he got to the arena; for some reason, Baron had been taking it upon himself to mess with Elias lately, and he was quickly growing tired with the acting General Manager's antics.

 _A shower. Don't forget a shower before you ice down that knee,_ he thought to himself. Elias looked down at his jeans, where he'd accidentally spilled some tea in the middle of his flight. A hot shower, a cup of tea, a clean pair of pyjamas, and a bag of ice on his knee sounded like Heaven.

He reached out and pressed the button for the elevator and waited for it patiently, his eyes darting around the empty hallway. If the travel hadn't been long enough, he felt grungy, like he'd been wearing his clothing for days. His black hair was pulled in a bun that rested at the nape of his neck, away from his face, fastened securely in place, in no danger of falling out of the elastic. He looked down at his left knee, wondering why on Earth it felt so swollen. _Maybe you hit something on the way out of the hotel this morning. But I don't remember hitting anything…the desk, maybe? Who knows?_ _Maybe I hit something at the airport…_

His thoughts came to a halt as the elevator landed on his floor. The door opened with a soft _ding_ and as they slid open he came into contact with Jory. It struck him odd that she was barefoot, but not holding onto a pair of shoes in her hand. Her arms were crossed over her chest; she was leaned back against the elevator. Dark brown hair framed her face in stiff, limp curls; some parts of her hair still looked like it was trapped in the updo she'd had. There were small streaks of mascara on her cheeks and around her red-rimmed and swollen eyes.

He offered her a quick smile as he stepped into the elevator, but she kept her gaze down at the ground. There was something definitely amiss about her; she was behaving far differently from any of the other times he'd interacted with her. He couldn't help but wonder which man was responsible – was it Baron or Seth?

It wasn't a secret that she had accompanied Baron to the charity auction earlier in the evening; there was a brief flash in Elias' mind that perhaps Baron had tried to get handsy with Jory. But it was obvious from her body language and her demeanour that she didn't want to talk. He was surprised at the protective feelings he had swelling up inside him; he barely knew Jory but seeing her in front of him like this made him want to be Sir Galahad.

"Did the event go okay?" he asked. She nodded; it was all she could do. If she spoke, Jory was certain she'd crack.

They fell quiet. From the corner of his eye, he observed her. She looked like she would have rather been anywhere else on the planet than in that elevator. Her body language was stiff and rigid, and it seemed like she was trying to hold her breath.

He opened his mouth to ask her what happened, but the elevator coming to a stop and the doors sliding open killed the moment. "Have a good night," she murmured, leaving the elevator quickly. Elias put the ice bucket down on the floor of the elevator and hit the Door Open button. "Jory!"

She stopped. With a deep sigh that seemed to make her posture slump, she turned to him. He reached into the pocket of his jeans and tossed her his handkerchief. She caught it, staring at it for a few moments. Jory looked up at him, bewildered. "You could probably use this more than me right now – you got makeup everywhere."

With that, he let go of the button and the elevator doors slid shut, separating the two of them. Elias could have sworn he was crazy, but he was almost certain he'd heard a sob escape from her lips before the elevator began making its way back up to the fourth floor.


	17. Fallout

**Chapter 16:**

 **Fallout**

* * *

 _"Don't blink – they won't even miss you at all, and don't think…"_

Seth came awake quick, scrambling to shut off the blaring alarm on his phone. When the room was finally cloaked in silence, Seth released a sigh, rolling onto his back and dropping his cell phone on the empty side of the bed. He looked up at the ceiling, into the white nothing, staring until his vision snapped out of focus.

It had taken Seth forever to fall asleep, and it felt like he'd just hit that perfect deep rest when his alarm went off. He wished he could just shut it off and go back to sleep, but there was a lot that needed to be done before the show started. He sighed; he couldn't recall a time where he'd had so much trouble falling asleep, but he had a lot to think about.

His gaze stuck on the ceiling, he thought about only a few hours before, after Jory had left the hotel room, where he'd sat on the bed and waited for her to come back so he could contain the damage he'd caused by being a hothead. She'd left without her phone, without her shoes, without her key-card; she had been so desperate to get away from Seth that she'd left her own hotel room because he wasn't leaving. He'd tried to check her phone for any evidence of what she was doing with Baron, but he realized she had never given him the lock screen code to her phone. After about an hour and a half, Seth realized that she wasn't coming back as long as he was there, if she came back to her hotel room at all. So he'd been forced to hang his head, tuck his tail between his legs, and head back to his hotel room, where Roman was waiting for him to go over strategy for their upcoming six-man tag match.

 _Roman._ He was rooming with Roman. Turning his head, Seth saw the other bed was empty but made. A smirk tugged at the corner of Seth's mouth; Roman _always_ made his bed. Unlike him and Dean on the road, Roman was a total neat freak, especially if he got to put down roots for a couple days. He assumed Roman was out working out or having breakfast with Dean, and there was a moment where Seth felt a little offended that the offer hadn't been extended to him. But Seth knew that he needed his rest; he had to perform at the highest level in a few hours, and Roman and Dean had definitely gotten more rest than he had. Roman had been out like a light after their talk; Seth just tossed and turned.

 _"It's not enough. I love you. It's never going to be enough."_

Her words ran through his mind on a permanent loop, the pain in her voice still poking into his heart like needles. The despair in her eyes, the way she struggled to keep it together when he'd taken that parting shot at her...all of it stayed with him more than he thought it would. With a few hours and a little bit of rest, Seth now felt like a royal bastard.

He wondered where she'd went after she left. Did she go to Baron like he'd suggested? Had he driven her into the arms of the man he hated more than life itself? Images flashed through his mind of Baron opening the door to his room, of Jory throwing herself at him. He shook his head, snapping his world back into focus. He couldn't think about Jory, about what she could be doing with Baron Corbin...he needed to think about his six-man tag match. Dean and Roman were counting on him.

Phone in hand, Seth pulled the covers back, groaning as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Standing, he padded across the carpet to the kitchenette area to make himself a pot of coffee. While he waited for the pot to fill, he opened Twitter on his phone and began to thumb through the timeline. His mentions were crazy; that wasn't a change - they always were. But what stuck out to him were the things that were being posted.

 _"It sounds like they split. Someone saw her running from the hotel in tears. Barefoot."_

 _"Seth let HER slip through his fingers? Man, take that L, Rollins."_

 _"I heard she was fucking Baron Corbin. She's a clout chaser. Always has been. It's about time Seth saw that."_

 _"Thank God they split. Seth can go back to being the best."_

 _"Those two deserved each other. A bunch of liars and cheaters. Did you see the way they were behaving on Corbin's IG?"_

He scrolled, the comments about Jory getting far more offensive, getting far pettier and more sexist. A few barbs about Seth's messy relationship past were thrown. He felt himself get more depressed than he thought possible. _Fuck, this shit is complete garbage. Why am I even on Twitter again? Ugh._ Before he shut the app down, however, a tweet caught his eye.

 _"I'm so sad. I was really pulling for those two. Jordana is the sweetest woman ever."_ Underneath the tweet was a photograph of the two of them. Seth was being assisted by Jory and referees to the backstage area. He didn't have to go through his memories to know where that picture had come from; it was the night he'd returned from his knee injury. He'd tried to rescue former General Manager Mick Foley, but Hunter had gotten the better of him, had tried to make sure that Seth wouldn't make it to _WrestleMania_ that year. His knee had been beaten to hell for his efforts, his crutch broken. It was another example of Seth being stupid, of Seth Rollins not thinking about his own well-being, and he'd paid dearly for it.

He stared at the picture, somehow feeling worse than he already felt. Jory had come to help him backstage that night, and she'd stayed with him, getting him everything he could have needed. She'd been a doting girlfriend, the best a man could ask for in this crazy business. Seth shut down Twitter, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek in frustration.

 _Face it, Rollins - you haven't deserved her in a very long time. You've known that. You just never thought she'd leave. And she did. She figured you out._

"Shut up, brain," Seth murmured angrily, placing the phone on the small counter space so he could fix himself a cup of coffee. Leaning against the wall, he sipped quietly while his brain berated him. Coming to terms with the truth that everything went wrong because he allowed it to was hard. Once again, Seth Rollins proved to be his own worst enemy. He looked over at his phone, and he thought about texting an apology to Jory. He thought about throwing himself at her mercy, about throwing his dignity to the side and begging her not to leave.

But he knew better.

What he'd done had put the nails in their coffin. He could see it written on her face; she'd meant every word she'd said to him. With the benefit of time and a torturous mind, Seth could see that these were words she'd been thinking for a while. There was a part of him hoping that she was, in fact, sleeping with Baron Corbin - it would make it easier for him to justify the things he'd said to her. If she wasn't, he'd believed the worst about her, and he knew that it would be the most unforgivable sin of all in her eyes.

He could text her. He could grovel. But he knew she wasn't going to answer him. She was done listening to him. She was done talking.

* * *

Every bone and muscle in her body ached.

Jory lay horizontal across her bed, on top of the covers, her head rested on her upper arm, feet dangling off the edge of the bed. She was still dressed in the clothes she wore the night before, her hair still clumped and matted with hairspray and hair products. She opened her eyes, wincing at the burning sensation that still ebbed behind them. Her mouth was dry and she felt dehydrated. Her head was pounding, a headache that started at the base of her skull and made its way above her left eye.

She felt drained, like she'd just been dragged through hell. Getting out of bed was going to take far more effort than she had inside her to spare. Staring at the headboard, it was a few moments before the post-sleep fog lifted and she remembered everything that had happened only hours before. With a groan, she rolled onto her back and clapped a hand over her face.

It was over. Done. Up in flames. The fairy-tale she'd believed in with Seth Rollins had fallen apart, and now she had to go to the arena and put on a brave face and act like everything was fine, like she hadn't had her still-beating heart ripped out of her chest only hours before. She had to pretend it was business as usual while everyone asked her questions. All she wanted to do was crawl into a hole and die. The idea of running into Seth and Baron at any point during her day made her want to break out in hives. Jory had to go to the arena and act like she hadn't cried herself to sleep.

She sat up slowly, propping herself up on her hands. Looking around the empty hotel room, she felt a shaking inside her chest. It was a few moments before she realized she was crying, gut wrenching sobs that left her heaving and gasping for air. Leaving Seth had been a long time coming, but it hurt. Physically, mentally, emotionally, it devastated her. She wished for death. With one sentence, Seth had hurt her in a way he would never comprehend.

With one sentence, he'd confirmed to Jory that he believed the worst about her. That he believed the rumors. He'd believed Dean's snide comments, and he'd believed the worst about her. He believed she would cheat on him, that she would lie to him, that she hadn't changed at all since her days in The Authority. She thought about what brought them together, how the two of them had been rejected because of their reputations as treacherous backstabbers, had been rejected because of their association with Hunter and Stephanie. They had found each other during dark periods of their lives. _In the end, he's Seth Freaking Rollins. He can always bounce back. You'll never get that opportunity. You're Jordana Moody, professional backstabber. You get ahead on your back. God, I should have trusted my instincts. I should have made him take no for an answer. I could have avoided this if I'd just...God, what's the use? You wanted this, Jory. You wanted this to work. That's why we're here. You believed him when he told you he'd never felt this way about anyone before. You idiot. How many women do you think he said that to? You fell for it. Just like they did._

"God, I'm so pathetic," she choked out loud. She felt the tears hot on her cheeks and she wished the crying would stop. Her eyes were dry; they hurt. Crying hurt. It wasn't cathartic at this point; it just hurt.

Her thoughts were cut short by her phone going off. She stared at it for a few moments before she reached out to grab it, dreading whoever was on the other end of that message. She saw it was from Bayley. _G'dday, mate. Breakfast?_

Jory sighed. _Bayley knows. Fuck._

She thought about answering Bayley, about finding some excuse to decline the invitation, but she realized for the first time in a long time that she had nothing to say, and she wasn't about to lie. Instead, she shut off the screen and threw her phone down on the mattress. She wasn't in the mood to talk, and Bayley would press and pester. _No lies, no excuses. Just no contact._ It was the best she could manage with the mood she was in.

It was a few more moments before Jory got out of bed. She moved on shaky legs towards the bathroom. The first item on her agenda was a hot shower.

Jory entered the bathroom and turned on the lights. Looking at her reflection, Jory involuntarily gasped.

Her mascara and eyeliner were smudged from her eyes to her cheeks. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen. She looked wan and dishevelled. With shaky hands, she brought her fingers to her burning eyes, wincing at the contact. _We'll get through this, Jory. How does that old song go? 'Me, myself, and I, it's all I got in the end', right? We found that out. We can do this. We don't need him. We never did. You might see it now, but you will._

With a sad, crooked smile, and a new flood of tears, Jory turned her attention to the shower. She hoped the water and steam would take the burn out of her eyes and the hot water would wash away the last eight hours of her life.

* * *

Dressed head to toe in black, his hair tied back in a bun at the base of his neck, Seth walked down the hall, fixing his gloves. He was on his way to meet up with Roman and Dean to go over their plans for the evening. All morning long, it felt like he was just missing them. Since arriving to the arena, he'd been on roller skates, rushing all over the place for different things from interviews to agents to pictures. The only person he'd managed to run into was Bayley, who was looking for Jory.

He shook his head. Bayley had looked at him, brown eyes pleading, asking him if the things she'd heard on social media were true. She was the first person Seth got to confirm the news to, and she'd looked gutted by the revelation. Bayley mentioned that it had to be the reason why Jory wasn't returning her text messages, and Seth realized that she'd gone off the grid with everyone. His friend had given him the best hug he could have asked for. She had tried to convince him that things could be salvaged, that they could work past whatever had driven them apart. Seth had offered her an encouraging smile and a nod, but he didn't see that happening. He thanked her for her kind words, and she'd been off to find Sasha Banks. Seth had continued on his trek to get to his brothers.

He wasn't even sure if Jory was at the arena; he hadn't seen her yet. He'd looked in all the places that he'd usually find her, but she wasn't there. Seth realized she'd found new places, places where he couldn't get to her. She didn't want to be found, especially by him. He wanted to talk to her; they had to work together. He didn't want things to end so destructively between them. But she wasn't interested, and he knew it. She wanted to make him suffer for the things he'd said, and he knew that he deserved every ounce she was willing to dish out.

Rounding the corner, Seth looked up from his hands in time to see Baron Corbin come around the bend. He was dressed in his usual business getup of black slacks and a black button-down shirt with the top two buttons undone. He wasn't wearing his vest. Baron's eyes fell on Seth and he stopped in his tracks, his expression faltering at the sight of his nemesis. There was a good six inches separating the men. They stood across from each other in silence, and Seth found himself studying Baron intently for any sign that he had spent the night with Jory.

Baron stared at Seth, and the glimmer in Baron's dark eyes made Seth angrier than he'd ever felt. Baron had become exceptionally arrogant since taking over the helm of the company's flagship show. At that moment, in that hallway, Seth Rollins thought about killing the man in front of him, about strangling him until Baron Corbin gasped out his last breath. He was convinced no jury would convict him; in fact, he was sure his colleagues would throw a party for him.

The General Manager looked at Seth with an arrogant smirk. As Baron's smirk morphed into a full-blown smile, Seth realized that he knew. At the sight of Baron's teeth, the last thread of Seth's sanity snapped. "You motherfucker..."

He was on Baron in a flash, swinging fists wildly, without a target. Baron swung back immediately, Baron hitting Seth repeatedly in the ribs with wide swinging punches, neither man doing any real damage to the other. Baron put both hands to Seth's chest and shoved him as hard as he could, forcing Seth to back away. Baron stumbled back a couple steps and attempted to compose himself.

Furious, Seth rushed him again, but in his anger, he was so focused on Baron that he didn't see Drew McIntyre emerge from the corridor until it was too late. Seth went into a black and silver trunk hard, side first, knocking the wind out of him. Before he could register what had happened, Baron and Drew were both on him, hitting Seth as hard as they could.

Baron stepped back to collect himself, leaving Seth at the mercy of the Scottish psychopath. Drew grabbed Seth by the hair. Seth was on shaky legs, but Drew didn't care; he grabbed Seth under the arms and hurled him across the hall. Seth went up on the trunk, his head hitting the wall, his body twisting on the trunk. Seth went limp, his body rolling off the trunk and hitting the ground hard.

"Get his ass up," Baron commanded, giving Drew a slap on the arm. "I'm not done with him yet."

With a nod, Drew walked over to Seth, grabbing him once more by the hair and forcing him to his feet. "It's time you learn your place, Rollins," Baron told him angrily, rolling up his sleeves. "It's time you learn." He motioned for Drew to send Seth over to him.

Drew shoved Seth, who was so groggy from the attack that he stumbled into Baron. It was all Baron needed. Seth was vaguely aware of being grabbed, of being off his feet, and then he was falling fast towards the concrete. Then his world stopped and became nothing but blackness.

Seth hit the ground with a dull thud, and he lay flat on the ground, face-down. Baron untangled himself from Seth, and Drew rushed over to help the General Manager to his feet. Baron brushed the dust off his arms and looked down at Seth, grinning.

"Always coming up short. I guess Jory got tired of that."

With a derisive snort, Baron walked over Seth's body. Drew fell into step beside Baron, and the two of them began discussing plans for the brand, leaving Seth unconscious on the ground. Behind them, referees and medical personnel swarmed Seth, yelling for paramedics, but neither man looked back.

* * *

"Hey! There you are."

Jory turned her head. Bayley was coming down the steps. She wasn't dressed in her ring gear yet; instead, Bayley was dressed in a burgundy dress that clung to her curves, and a leather jacket. Her dark brown hair wasn't in its trademark high ponytail; it was brushed around her face. With a defeated sigh, Jory turned her attention back to the ring area, where the crews were setting up the ring. Inside the ropes, Kevin Owens was talking with Sami Zayn and Cesaro, the three of them in a conversation Jory couldn't hear.

Bayley moved down to take the seat in front of Jory, shifting her body slightly so they could speak. She studied her friend, dressed in black leggings and a long black tunic with big pockets in the front. Her hair was in a thick braid that fell over her left shoulder. Jory was wearing makeup, but it did little to hide the depression that was etched on her features. There was no amount of makeup that could hide the exhaustion in Jory's eyes.

Both women were quiet for a few moments. Bayley cleared her throat. "Everyone's been looking for you. Baron and Seth are both looking for you."

Jory looked down at her hands. She had nothing to say, so she said nothing. After a few moments of awkward silence, Bayley nodded to herself. It hurt to see her two friends hurting so badly. Bayley's mouth pulled into a thin line. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"The rumors are true." Jory remained silent. She wished Bayley would just leave. Instead of leaving, Bayley nodded and gave Jory the most sympathetic smile she could muster. "I'm so sorry, Jory. That sucks. Like, it really, really sucks."

Jory sighed. "I never should have come here." Bayley couldn't tell if she meant into the stands, or to Australia. If asked, Jory wasn't sure she could answer which one she meant at that moment.

"Maybe this is what you guys needed," Bayley told her gently. "You guys can take the rest of this trip to cool your jets, and when you get back on American soil, you guys can talk it out and things can go back to the way they were. I know you two. You're the best people I know. You can patch this up." Jory looked at Bayley oddly, making Bayley feel uncomfortable in her own skin. Jory shook her head. A thought hit her. Jory reached into a pocket and pulled out her wallet. Going into the area where she kept her money, she pulled out the Parkway Drive tickets.

"I want you to have these." Jory handed them to Bayley. She looked at them before her gaze returned to Jory, a veil of confusion on her face. "I was going to go with... _him_...but there's no way now. I know the two of you are besties, so...you go. Have fun."

"What? No. Jory, I can't take these."

"Then sell them. I don't care." With a sigh, Jory stood, slipping her wallet back into her pocket. Bayley watched her friend leave sadly. Jory didn't turn to look back at Bayley. With a sigh, Bayley looked down at the tickets. It was in Chicago, in Jory's hometown. Seth had always talked about going to a concert with Bayley, but things never seemed to line up. Bayley realized it could be the kind of night that her friend needed with everything going on. Shaking her head, she slipped the tickets into her pocket. She'd have to tell Seth about the change of plans later.

In the other pocket, Bayley's phone rang. She reached for it and turned on the screen. Her eyes widened. It was a notification from the WWE app, and it was a big piece of news. Her brown eyes scanned the message, a hand involuntarily rising to cover her mouth.

 _"Seth Rollins Unable to Compete After Brawl With General Manager Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre; Triple H Steps in to Replace Rollins in Super Show Down Main Event."_

"Oh my God, Seth, what did you do?" Bayley gasped quietly. She looked up at the stairs, but Jory was long gone, eager to find another place where nobody would find her. Bayley looked at the phone and shook her head. There was a fleeting thought inside her head that asked if the rumors about Baron Corbin and Jory Moody could possibly be true.

* * *

Baron walked down the hall with renewed energy, the smile plastered on his face to an almost painful degree since he'd left Seth laid out cold in the hallway. For months Seth Rollins had proven to be his biggest headache, had been Jory's biggest headache, so it felt good to finally put the little weasel in his place. Twenty minutes earlier, he'd rejoiced at the sound of Seth's head bouncing off the floor, had known pure joy when Drew had thrown Seth clear across the hall. Sure, Rollins being taken out of the main event had gypped the fans and had put Dean and Roman at a disadvantage, especially since their synergy was disrupted with Triple H now, but what did Baron care? Seth was gone for the rest of the night, and he was the direct cause of it. As far as he was concerned, it was cause for celebration.

It wasn't his intention to beat Seth Rollins within an inch of his life. He didn't arrive at the arena with the plans of putting Seth on the shelf. He was the General Manager, after all; he had to maintain a level of decorum with his Superstars, even the ones he hated. But Seth had provoked him. Seth had put his hands on Baron first. He'd waited for Seth to land the first punch before defending himself. As far as Baron was concerned, beating up Seth was a bonus on what had been a great trip for him so far. He'd had a spectacular breakfast at the hotel that morning, scrolling through his Twitter feed and laughing at the men who roasted Seth for not being able to keep a beautiful woman like Jory at his side. He hadn't planned on addressing any of the rumors, but some teenage girl had been way out of line, and Baron had to let her know she had no idea what the hell she was talking about. He left it at that. Baron looked for Jory on Twitter, but she hadn't been active since the charity event. He didn't want to say anything else until he spoke to her.

But he couldn't find her.

Once again, she was drifting backstage like a ghost. The only difference was that this time, she was doing a great job at remaining unseen. Those who saw her were able to point him in a direction, but she was always gone when he got there. He hadn't been able to track her down in hours, and she wasn't answering her phone. None of her usual hiding places or hangouts harbored her. She wasn't in the locker room, in catering, or at the photo area. Nobody was covering for her; she was just drifting. He thought Elias could learn a tip or two from her about making himself unseen.

Elias. There was another headache. Once again, the man was off, probably having a rock star tantrum that Baron had cut his segment again. It wasn't personal; it was a stacked card, and he didn't have room for rock concerts. It was a wrestling show.

Baron's thoughts careened back to Seth's attack. Had the man finally lost it after Baron posted all the stuff with Jory the night before? He'd hoped so. Jory could see through Baron, could see what he was doing, and she'd been uncomfortable, but it was worth it to see Seth's kingdom burn. Had it killed Seth to see Jory so happy in the photos they shared together? He knew that she was ghosting everyone because of Seth; he was sure of it. The two of them had parted from the event on good terms; Jory even seemed happy. If the tweets he'd read were true and Jory had been spotted running from the hotel in her bare feet, then that was on Seth, not on him.

He spotted Renee Young talking with Corey Graves and he approached. Corey offered him a fist bump as a greeting. Renee turned to him, and Baron saw something flash in her hazel eyes, but she said nothing. Being married to Dean Ambrose made Baron an enemy in her eyes, he knew, but she was a commentator, and she knew better than to say anything. She worked for him, and she had to remain professional. Renee was dressed in a black romper with a blue sequin blazer. Her hair was done in waves, her lips painted red. She was barefoot, a sight that wasn't unusual with her backstage.

"How's it going tonight?" Corey asked.

"Good. Great. Couldn't be a better night," Baron said with a grin. He looked over at Renee, who looked disgusted. "Renee, I know you're friends with her – have you seen Jory around? I need to talk to her. It's important. But I haven't been able to find her at all tonight."

"I haven't seen her," Renee told him honestly. "I'm hearing she wants it that way, so I haven't looked."

Baron nodded. "I've heard that, too. If you see her around, could you let her know I'm looking at her. Let her know I want to talk to her about the next loop of tapings." She nodded, then excused herself. Renee didn't turn back to look at either man. Corey snorted.

"Stuck up bitch," Baron murmured when she was out of earshot.

"In her defense, you did wipe the floor with one of her husband's little buddies," Corey said with a laugh.

"He had it coming. He put his hands on me, so I had to show him how to get the job done. It's been so long since he's been able to do it, I think he forgot." Corey roared with laughter. "Imagine thinking he was going to attack the General Manager, and the GM would have _no_ backup whatsoever. What an idiot."

"Total. But Seth's always been an idiot." Baron nodded.

"Have you seen Jory around?"

"Nah. I think she'd be avoiding me since she knows we're friends," Corey confessed. Baron nodded. "It sounds like she's ignoring everyone. Those rumors on social media must be true."

"That's what I'm thinking." Baron shrugged. "Hopefully I find her soon."

"If I see her, I'll shoot you a text."

"Thanks, man." Baron slapped hands with Corey and continued making his way back to his office. He scanned every area he walked through, hoping for a glimpse of Jory, but she was nowhere to be found.

* * *

"What the fuck were you thinking, you fucking idiot asshole?"

The paramedics were wheeling a groggy Seth Rollins towards an awaiting ambulance. Dean and Roman followed beside the gurney on each side. Dean was absolutely apoplectic at the situation; Roman could only stare down at Seth and shake his head in disappointment. "I feel dumb enough, okay?" Seth groaned, reaching up to touch his forehead. It was pounding. "Could you just…?"

"No, I can't just fucking not," Dean barked back at him angrily. "I can't do a fucking thing, and in case your dumb ass hasn't noticed, you can't, either." Seth turned his head to shoot a pleading glance at Roman, who held up both hands and shook his head as if to say _leave me out of this_. "I don't get what's with you, man – the Seth Rollins I used to know wasn't such a little bitch."

"Don't call me a bitch," Seth growled. He struggled to sit up, but he felt like he'd been run over. Roman put a hand out to push Seth back down on the gurney. They turned the corner, making a beeline for the ambulance.

"Oh, no, motherfucker, you're going to hear me this time. You've fucked us. You've royally, royally fucked us, because you can't quit thinking with your dick. You've fucked us. We got dragged into _your_ war with Sanity, and now we have to clean up your mess because you got your stupid fucking ass taken out with only hours to go before our match. I would ask what the fuck you were thinking, but it's pretty clear you haven't had a coherent thought in _months_."

"Rome…"

"Nope. He's right – you've earned all of this," Roman told him, shaking his head. "You chose to attack Baron Corbin and it could very well cost us in this war. What have I been telling you? What have I been saying to you for months now?"

"Focus."

"Focus. It's like it went in one ear and out the other with you."

Seth realized that Dean had allowed himself to fall out of step with the gurney. He heard crashing and banging behind them, and he assumed Dean was tearing things apart in his anger. With a sad sigh, Roman quit walking, and Seth found himself alone as the paramedics loaded him into the ambulance and took him to the hospital.

* * *

With a sigh of relief, Jory slipped into an empty hallway, grateful to find there wasn't a soul around. It felt like the entire world wanted her. All night long, her phone had been ringing with direct messages, text messages, and phone calls. Baron was on the hunt for her, but nobody could decide how important it was that he found her. As far as she was concerned, she wasn't competing or managing anyone; there was nothing important that needed to be said to her until she was back on American soil at _Raw_. Jory wasn't stupid; she knew that Baron wanted to talk to her about what happened at the event, to probably apologize for the hand he'd played in Seth's jealousy, and offer a hollow apology that her love life was in shambles. She didn't want to hear it. Not tonight.

She'd overheard through the WWE gossip mill that Seth was at the hospital, a direct result of attacking Baron Corbin earlier in the night. His absence made for one less issue she had to deal with, but she'd spent the entire night ducking, diving, dipping, and dodging to avoid Baron. She didn't want to face him. What was happening between her and Seth was none of his business. All she wanted to do was survive the night undetected. Once the final bell rang, she was going to slip out of the arena and head back to her hotel, where she could burrow underneath the covers until she had to board her flight back to America in the morning.

Jory could hear the strains of Motorhead's "The Game" blaring through the arena speakers, and she shook her head in disgust. Triple H, the man who had made her life and Seth's life a living hell, the man who had crafted a plan to blow up The Shield from the inside when he realized he couldn't beat them with his men, was now donning the black vest. He was going to team with Roman and Dean, who were going to act like nothing had happened between them. Roman and Dean's acceptance of Triple H's help left Jory feeling deflated.

 _God, everything is such a mess right now. But way to go - no Baron at all tonight. That would be impressive, if it weren't so sad,_ she thought to herself.

She rounded a corner and came to a stop like she'd heard a gunshot. _Shit. Spotted._

Sensing another presence in the hall with him, Elias looked up from the guitar he was tuning. After having his performance shot down by the General Manager, he'd decided to find a quiet corner of the arena to play in. He quit what he was doing and straightened his posture, the two of them locked in a stare-down. Over breakfast, checking his social media, Elias had heard about Seth and Jory's split, and while he sipped his coffee, he thought about what he'd seen in the elevator the night before. It had put everything he'd seen into context. Looking at the woman standing in front of him, at her exhausted eyes and cheeks tinged with embarrassment, he didn't have to ask her if the rumors were true; it was written clear as day on her face, in her body language. It had been in the elevator. Her relationship with Seth was over, and he knew she was hurting.

He shook his head, lips pulling into a thin line. He shifted, opening up space to her on the trunk beside him, something he did for no one. Without a word, Jory approached, sitting down on the bench beside him. He moved his guitar out of the way until she was comfortable before he set himself up. She let her head rest against the wall, and Elias began to pick at the guitar. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her smile. _Under the Bridge_. It was the most beautiful riff she'd heard in her life.

Elias played, neither one attempting to sing with the melody. He played, and she listened. After a few moments, Elias was surprised when she shifted, and her head came to rest on his shoulder.


	18. Homecoming

**Chapter 17:**

 **Homecoming**

* * *

 _Who's bigger, Jordana? Baron or Seth?_

 _Clown._

 _Whore._

 _How could she hurt Seth like this? This bitch is cancelled. Fuck her. Trash._

 _Porn stars don't get around as much as this skank._

Elias ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek and did his best to breathe through the swell of anger that had risen inside his chest. It was a quick, sweeping feeling that caught him off-guard, leaving him overwhelmed by the sudden sensation. He was currently thirty thousand feet in the air, on his way back to American soil for the next loop of TV tapings. A few fans had approached him before takeoff for a picture, but now that the plane was in the air, he was sitting at the back of the plane with his headphones in. He was as comfortable as he could manage on a cramped airplane, scrolling through Jory's Instagram.

It wasn't his intention to snoop through her pages, but he'd come across a picture Bayley had posted, with Jory tagged in the caption. He'd allowed his curiosity to get the better of him, so he clicked the tag and began looking through her pictures. Her most recent shot had her getting ready to go to the charity event. He'd seen some comments, and against his better judgment, he'd clicked on them. The first thing he noticed was that there were far more abusive comments than positive ones. As he read through the words people had left for her, Elias couldn't help but wonder why she kept a social media account at all. The things he found himself reading were horrible, and they only seemed to get progressively nastier the further he went. Truth be told, Elias wasn't even sure why he cared; his female colleagues got nasty comments all the time from people who called themselves fans. People attacked everything from their weight to their love life, and while Jory seemed to get it on a level slightly above Nikki and Brie Bella, it was still something most, if not all, the girls had to deal with. But reading the words made him angry. He knew that Jory's past as the Golden Girl of The Authority had made her an enemy to many, and he knew that in spite of the work she'd done to rehabilitate her image, some people were never going to forgive her for the things she'd done. But as far as he was concerned, whatever was happening with her, Seth Rollins, and Baron Corbin was nobody's business but theirs. Elias came across a comment that made a vulgar remark about Jory's the size of Jory's genitals and he shook his head in disgust before backing out of it. If he read anymore, he was pretty sure he was going to do or say something he would regret.

The first thing he noticed while perusing Jory's Instagram was that Seth was still following her account, a strange development, considering their relationship had exploded; the second was that she didn't post pictures very often, and very rarely did she post a personal picture. There were no photographs of her with Seth, but there was a beautiful picture of her in bed wearing Seth's T-shirt; clicking on the picture, he saw that she asked fans to wish Seth a speedy recovery. Scrolling further, he quickly found pictures of Jory with blonde hair.

If anyone were to ask him why he was so fixated on Jordana Moody, Elias would be the first to admit that he wasn't sure he had a good answer. He presumed his feelings about her had more to do with not being able to get a good read on her character than anything else. When he'd come up from NXT, he'd heard about her reputation through the company grapevine. He had heard all the rumours and innuendos that surrounded her. In all of his interactions with her he had yet to see anything out of her that would line up with what people told him about her. After their first encounter at _SummerSlam_ , he noted that every meeting they had saw her feeling down and out. She'd never been anything but quiet but polite.

Since running into her on the elevator in Melbourne, he hadn't been able to get her out of his mind, and he wasn't sure why, but he couldn't stop thinking about how hard she'd struggled to keep herself together in that elevator. He'd had no idea that she'd just broken up with Seth, but one look at her and he knew she was in pain. One look in her eyes, and he knew she'd had her world ripped to shreds.

He scrolled back up to the top of her page and gave her a follow. Shaking his head, he moved to the inbox and pulled up her account. He had no idea what to say to her, but he felt like he had to say something. Some way, somehow, the two of them had crossed paths, and he was beginning to feel like he was being drawn into her world. He wasn't sure if it was by her design, or if it was coincidence or even fate, but it left him slightly unsettled, especially because he didn't know where her friendship stood with Baron Corbin.

Pursing his lips into a thin line, he sent her a quick message and sent it to her before he had a moment to rethink and retype what he wanted to say. He knew she'd gone home on an earlier flight than everyone else; the gossip about her morning meeting with Hunter and Stephanie had been making the rounds. He didn't believe the rumor that she'd been suspended; he assumed she went home to deal with some nagging injuries and to avoid any awkwardness with Seth, and then he was greeted with the bitter feeling that at the end of the day, Hunter and Stephanie were still willing to protect Seth over anyone else.

He went back to checking his Instagram feed. He wasn't sure if Jory was in the mood to check her phone, but he hoped that he was able to offer her some kind of light in the current sea of bullshit she was adrift in. He had no idea when she'd be back, but he realized that she wouldn't be at _Raw_ to sit with him while he played, and he was surprised to find himself unhappy with that development.

* * *

Sitting in first class, Seth Rollins wished he could get some sleep.

In all of his years traveling the world as a professional wrestler, Seth honestly couldn't think of a more disastrous trip he'd ever taken in his entire life. In one excursion, he'd managed to lose his girlfriend and had gotten his ass handed to him so badly that he had to be pulled from the main event of a special attraction show, robbing the fans of a superstar performance. On top of all of that, Seth was also feeling the tension with Dean and Roman, who had completely frozen him out once he'd left the building in the back of an ambulance. They were furious with him, to the point that they were outright treating him like he didn't exist. Seth knew that he earned their wrath, but he had no idea how to make it right with them. Forty-eight hours removed from his split with Jory and twenty-four hours removed from Super Show Down, Seth felt incredibly stupid; he was embarrassed that he'd allowed his personal vendetta to get the better of him.

Once again, he found his mind went back to the situation with Jory. She hadn't explicitly stated that they were over, but she was definitely taking the steps to cut him out of her life. He'd been surprised at the airport to find that she didn't follow him on any of her social media accounts anymore. Before he went to bed the night before, he'd got a text message from Bayley, revealing that Jory had handed off the Parkway Drive tickets to her. It was a clear message that what he thought they had was over. He had mixed feelings.

As far as he was concerned, everything could have been avoided had she just stayed away from Baron Corbin. It was all he had asked of her. Baron was a snake, the kind of man who would sell his grandmother for a shot at absolute power. Sure, she insisted that nothing happened between the two of them, but after she refused his one simple request, what was he supposed to think? All she had to do was end their friendship. She could make other friends. If she wasn't sleeping with Baron, he had no idea why she was so willing to die on that hill.

Since their argument, Seth had been thinking bitter thoughts; the dominant thought inside his head was that she wasn't all that different from who she was in The Authority. Leopards don't change their spots. He kept murmuring to himself that he should have known better, that he should have paid attention to the kind of woman she was and just stayed away from her. It would have saved him an enormous headache in the end. She was rotten to the core, beyond redemption, just like Baron Corbin. _Scumbags of a feather always have to flock together, don't they?_ Seth snorted at the thought. At that moment, he would have sold his soul to shut the world off for a few hours and refocus on the things that really mattered to him. But he was stuck in a loop, thinking about the last forty-eight hours, trying to piece together just what in the hell had happened.

He was surprised to find she'd unfollowed him so quickly. The thought hit him that she had cut him out of her life like a cancer. He'd thought about unfollowing her, but he'd decided against it for the interim. She hardly ever posted anything to social media anyway, so he didn't think it was imperative to follow her lead.

Part of him wanted to talk to her, to make her understand that this entire situation was her fault. They weren't talking because she was defensive about a relationship that was going to blow up in her face. Seth didn't understand how she couldn't see that. He'd warned her, and she'd told him she was listening, but he doubted it, and he knew that when it was time for Baron to cast her aside, she'd be the only one who didn't see it coming. If Jory had listened to him months ago when he'd told her to stay far away from Baron Corbin, they could have avoided all of this. But she had to be stubborn. She had to be right.

But she wanted to blame Seth. She wanted to blame them for the disintegration of their relationship because he wasn't around when she needed him. He had his suspicions that she was jealous of his standing in the company; he was getting ready to jump from the Intercontinental to the Universal Championship picture while she struggled to find her footing in the women's division. It wasn't his fault that he wasn't around as much as she would have liked; he was a busy man. A champion. He had money and towns to make. As far as he was concerned, her arguments were moot points. She was a wrestler, just like him. She knew the game, and what it took to make it to the top. To throw that in his face, like it was a crime to be successful, made him feel like she was immature, that she just didn't understand the lifestyle she was involved with.

He'd thought a lot about her revelation that she loved him. Seth didn't believe it; the more he stewed in his negative thoughts, the more he convinced himself that she wasn't capable of understanding the concept. Her time with The Authority had warped her beyond repair, and he'd been too blind to see it. Part of him was sure he didn't want to believe it, because he was so desperate at the time. Jory had tiptoed into his life with ice cream and emotional support, and he'd taken her up on it because he was vulnerable. He'd been stupid, as far as he was concerned. Now, here he was, on a flight to America from Australia, as miserable as he'd ever been, all because he wasn't able to shove her out of the picture when she'd walked into it.

Sitting on the plane, headphones in his ears, Seth Rollins was angry. He was angry that she'd given up on him. _What kind of love is that? Love means you stick around. Just proves she doesn't know what the fuck she's talking about._ His thoughts became progressively uglier, slamming everything from her in-ring persona to their sex life. All the good times they'd had were now seen through a fractured lens.

Two rows ahead, Dean was sleeping while Roman watched a movie. He'd tried messaging them earlier in the morning about grabbing a coffee, but they were still angry at him. For the first time in a long time, Seth felt like he'd let everybody down, and he didn't know how to fix it. Dean and Roman were his brothers, and it was imperative to him that they were on the same page. At that moment, on that flight, given everything he'd been through, Seth felt like the brotherhood with Dean and Roman was all that he had left.

* * *

All Jory wanted to do was crawl into bed, pull the covers up over her head, and ignore the world around her.

She was tired. Jory was tired of the people around her never saying what they meant, of everyone double-talking and speaking in riddles with her instead of just being direct. For the first time in a long time, Jory thought about going off the grid, far away where nobody could find her. In her pain, she didn't have all the logistics sorted; it was just a nice little fantasy.

It had been a long flight home from Australia, and she'd had a lot of time to think. Jory honestly couldn't recall a time in her life where she felt more depressed. What had seemed like a good idea at the time had proven to be nothing but a personal disaster on every front. Leaving Melbourne, heartbroken and alone, Jory felt like the world was out to get her again, and she hated that feeling.

Her meeting with Hunter and Stephanie had been thoroughly awkward, especially since she hadn't sat in a room with the two of them since her days with The Authority. Stephanie had been so overly sweet that it bordered on disingenuous; her tone had been so syrupy that Jory was sure she would catch contact diabetes. Stephanie and Hunter had wanted to talk to her about her neck injury. Stephanie had brought up Kurt Angle's history of neck issues and had told her that they didn't want the same for her, that they didn't want to see her retired early like Paige or Edge. So they were sending her home for a few weeks to recuperate. Jory had said nothing during the meeting; at that point, she was more than happy to go home and be away from everybody. She had her suspicions that it wasn't a benevolent gift from her bosses so much as it was an excuse to get her out of their hair and away from Seth for a little while. Jory was grateful that she wouldn't have to see Seth while the pain was still so fresh. They'd gone so far as to change her flight, to get her out of there before everyone else. While Jory wanted to be suspicious, the truth was that she just wanted to get the hell out of Australia and go home.

But because the universe wasn't done having its way with her, while she sat in the airport waiting to board her flight, Jory had received a call from Baron, and it was obvious right away he hadn't spoken to his superiors. He spoke about all the plans he had for her when they got back on American soil, and she'd been forced to tell him that Stephanie and Hunter had given her some time off.

He hadn't taken the news well.

Hours removed from the call and Jory was still baffled. He'd been quiet for so long that Jory wondered if the call had dropped. Then he'd accused her of sabotaging his brand, of going over his head to take time off when he needed her the most. She'd let him vent in silence; she had no idea what he wanted her to say. He'd been so angry with her that he'd hung up on her.

 _You need to figure things out. I'm not going to wait around forever._

He'd said that to her. She had no idea what it meant. After everything she'd had to deal with in the past forty-eight hours, Jory didn't care what he meant, either. She'd had enough of Baron Corbin and Seth Rollins to last her two lifetimes. With every minute that passed, Jory regretted not taking up Bryan and Shane's offer to transfer to _SmackDown_ when she had the chance. While she felt like she'd needed to even the score with Stephanie, in the long run, she realized that she'd made a very short-sighted decision.

Jory left her suitcase by the door. She locked up and kicked her shoes off before she strolled through her empty home, making a beeline for her bedroom. Every photograph she passed of her and Seth on the way was either turned or stricken down so she wouldn't have to look at it when she had to get out of bed. Off the clock, she had no intention of returning anybody's phone calls or messages until she had to go back to work. She owed nobody anything on her own time.

She threw her phone on the bed and stripped to her underwear, slipping underneath the covers and drawing them up high. It felt good to be at home in her own bed, and it was a nice feeling to know she'd have more than a day or two to enjoy it. Cloaked in silence, Jory wasn't looking to sleep; all she wanted to do was hide away from the world until everything stopped hurting.

With a sigh, she reached out and grabbed her phone on the other side of her bed. She couldn't help but think about Seth. She was going to miss him, but what was the point of staying with someone who didn't trust her? In a short time, he'd become her world, and now it felt like everything was reduced to ashes. It left a hole in her chest that made it hard to breathe. She wasn't sure how far they were going to go, but she thought they'd go farther than this. In another time, perhaps they would have. But it was over. She couldn't ignore the fact that their relationship had been on life support for months; against her better instincts, she'd reached out and pulled the plug.

But it hurt. It hurt so bad she could feel it in her bones.

Her father and Tabitha could see it when she got off the plane, and while they'd asked, Jory had made it clear she wasn't ready to talk about it. They'd offered her a chance to come back to the house and have a family dinner, but exhausted and depressed, Jory asked for a rain-check. They'd obliged and dropped her off at the house. She felt terrible about turning down a visit with her father, but she couldn't fake how she felt. She was aware that she would have been a miserable guest, and she didn't want to spend the night with them needling her with questions every time someone left the room. She needed time to process things. She needed time to let it out.

With a sigh, she reached out and grabbed her phone. She'd shut it off after Baron had hung up on her, and she'd left it off the entire flight. Staring at it now, she thought about putting it back down on the mattress, but against her better judgment she turned it on, watching the phone come to life with a dejected expression on her face. Once the phone was on, it began pinging with all kinds of alerts, and she inwardly groaned. There were missed calls from Bayley and Baron, and both of them had tried texting her. There were alerts that fans were replying to pictures and tweets, but Jory had no desire to read their words. Some fans she knew would be supportive; it was the toxic ones she wanted to avoid when she was feeling so low. Seth had a dedicated fan-base, with some _extremely_ supportive – borderline obsessive – female fans. She knew they would be extremely happy about their split.

She pulled up her Instagram, not at all surprised to find a ton of alerts in the time her phone had been off. Scrolling to the side, she stared at her inbox. Men trying to shoot their shot with her, women berating her and offering support in disproportionate measure.

Midway down, her eyes narrowed in surprise when she saw Elias had left her a message. While she had been sitting with him backstage and running into him at every turn, she wasn't following him, and as far as she knew, he wasn't following her, either. Curious, she tapped the message to view it in its entirety.

" _Life is what you make it, at least that's what people say._

 _And if we can't make it through tomorrow, we'd better make it through today."_

It wasn't until Jory felt a fat tear slide down her cheek that she realized that she was crying. She wasn't sure what had driven him to send her a private message, but the words he'd sent her felt like something she needed to hear. Dropping her phone to the mattress, Jory curled into herself and let herself cry. She bawled until her eyes and lungs burned. Jory sobbed until the well ran dry and she drifted off to sleep.


	19. Brother Down

**Chapter 18:**

 **Brother Down**

* * *

 _Raw_ was airing live from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and it was promising to be a raucous night of professional wrestling. The rivalry that had sprouted between Sanity and The Shield was quickly approaching critical mass, and there was a feeling in the air that something was about to give.

Toronto was a notorious wrestling crowd, so much so that Hall of Fame commentator Jerry Lawler likened the place to "Bizarro World", a place where everything was the opposite of the rest of the world. It was a place where the faces were rejected and the heels embraced, a place where professional wrestling trends were not what the rest of the world had set. Baron was curious about how the crowd was going to react to the teams involved in the main event. He wanted to know if this was a Shield city or a Sanity city. He'd set the parameters to a falls count anywhere street fight. Since Seth had gotten himself injured in Melbourne, Baron decided to make it up to the fans by giving them the match that had been advertised before Seth attempted to attack Baron in the hallway.

At that moment, Baron was alone in his office, pacing back and forth with his iPhone pressed to his ear. He chewed on his lower lip as the phone on the other end of the line continued to ring. He was dressed professionally in black, with a grey vest that was unbuttoned. His long paced gracefully, pivoting on his heels. He snorted, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he thought about Seth's situation. He wanted to believe that he and Drew had taught Seth a lesson about controlling his anger, but it was quickly becoming clear to Baron that Seth wasn't capable of learning anything.

He'd heard all about Jory and Seth's breakup; it was the hottest piece of gossip backstage. On top of losing Jory, Dean and Roman were furious with him for throwing a wrench into their advertised match. There was a swell of pride in Baron's chest that he'd been instrumental in dropping a bomb on Seth's life. Just a small piece, though; as far as Baron was concerned, Seth's jealousy was what was doing him in.

" _You know what to do."_

Baron sighed as the phone beeped. "Hey. It's currently…" His eyes darted to the clock on the wall. "…Four. _Raw_ starts in an hour, and this is going to be the last time I try and call today." By his count, he'd called her four times, greeted by her voicemail every single time. "I just got out of meeting with Stephanie, Hunter, and Dr. Amann, and we all agree that your injury isn't as severe as Stephanie and Hunter thought. Anything more than two weeks off is excessive, so I'm expecting you back at work in two weeks."

He could hear the frustration in his voice, but he couldn't help it. All day long he had been trying to reach her, only to be greeted with unanswered text messages and her voicemail. He wasn't stupid; he knew that she was screening her calls because she hadn't turned her phone off. When she was in a better mood she always returned his messages. Baron noticed that when she was angry or upset, her first instinct was always to freeze out the people around her, and he was quickly growing tired of that habit.

He'd been so desperate to reach her through the course of the afternoon that he'd even lowered himself to go plead with Bayley and Renee to get in touch with her, only to find out she wasn't speaking to them, either. They were in the loop about her current situation with Seth, and they were just as concerned about her well-being as he was. While Baron was irritated that she wasn't speaking to him, there was a small piece of solace that came with the knowledge that Jory wasn't speaking to _anybody_.

All because Seth Rollins left her. She was being ridiculous, as far as he was concerned. He'd swear on a stack of Bibles that Seth Rollins wasn't worth it.

Taking a breath, Baron calmed himself and made a conscious effort to change his tone to something that struck a little more sympathetic. "Jory, I'm saying this to you not as your boss, but as your friend, okay? Call me when you get this. I know you're dealing with a lot at the moment, and I know you're hurting, but just...call me." Pulling the phone away from his ear, Baron hit the end call button and sighed, shaking his head as he slid his phone back into his pocket. She'd frozen him out before, and he'd earned it when that had happened. But he'd done nothing wrong here.

Baron's thoughts came to a halt when the door burst open behind him. He wheeled around to find Seth barging into the office, slamming the door shut behind him. Seth was already dressed in his ring gear, paired with the latest Shield T-shirt. His hair was wet, hanging in limp, wet waves around his angry face. Baron smirked as Seth made his way towards him. Baron put his hand up to stop Seth in his tracks.

"You'd better think _really_ carefully about what you're about to do in here," Baron warned him darkly.

Seth scowled. His gaze shifted to the pocket where Baron had just slid his phone, and his eyes narrowed. "What, are you two exclusive now that I'm out of the picture?" he accused.

Baron smirked. Despite being broken up, Seth was still jealous. That revelation warmed his heart. "Not that it's any of your fucking business, Rollins, but Jory and I have never been anything but friends."

"I'm supposed to believe that with the way you've been hanging all over her?" Seth accused. Baron laughed.

"I don't care about what you believe or don't," Baron told him, his smirk morphing into a full-blown grin. "You're either brave or stupid, walking in here like this after what I did to you this weekend. How's your head? Are your ears still ringing?"

"Fucking coward."

"Said the man who attacked me and got his ass kicked. You have your friends, Seth, and I have mine. Speaking of your friends, are they talking to you after you fucked them over in Melbourne? You might want to track them down before your main event tonight. The last thing you want is them deserting you the way you deserted them."

"You mother…"

"Get out of my office, Rollins. I'm tired of looking at you, and I have a show to run."

Seth scowled, and his fists curled at his side. For a moment, Baron thought that Seth would disregard Baron's warnings and attack him. Instead, Seth turned and stormed out of the office. Not content to just let him leave, Baron called out, "Seth?"

Seth turned to look at Baron, nostrils flaring with rage.

"Try not to do anything stupid tonight before your match – your _brothers_ are gonna need all the help they can get."

Seth stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Baron's smile grew so wide it almost hurt. Hunter and Stephanie had talked with Baron about Rollins, and they were always quick to point out that Seth Rollins was his own worst enemy; being able to see it firsthand was the gift that kept on giving.

* * *

"At this point, I'm pretty convinced that Vince is getting sick of seeing my face in his office."

Bayley smiled as she brought the paper cup of coffee to her lips. She was dressed in her peach and blue ring gear, with a cut-up and fringed I'm A Hugger T-shirt. The makeup department had coordinated the painted stars on her face with her gear. Across from Bayley, Sasha poured herself a cup of coffee. "Do you think he's starting to crack?" Bayley asked.

"I'm hoping so. I mean, God, think about how many women we have here now – we so have enough to do a tag team division," Sasha pointed out. "We could defend it on every brand. Even in NXT. With Billie and Peyton and Io and Kairi, we have at least _something_ to start with."

Sasha wasn't competing, so she was still in her black slacks and white tank top underneath a black blazer. Her purple hair was tied back from her face in a braid, but two strands had fallen out, framing her face. Sasha poured some creamer into her coffee. "Vince said he'll think about it. I'll see what he has to say next week, or remind him in case he forgets again."

Bayley opened her mouth to respond, but her mouth closed. Sensing the change in Bayley's body language, Sasha turned in time to see Seth stomping towards them. "Oh, shit. He looks mad," Sasha murmured, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She moved a little so Seth could step between them.

"Hey," Seth greeted. He reached out and grabbed a cup. Bayley shot him a look.

"Hey. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Fine. Just…I hate Baron Corbin, that's all. I can't imagine I'm the only name on that list." Seth began mixing sugar and creamer into his coffee. Bayley put her coffee cup down on the table and crossed her arms over her chest. "You see we got Sanity again in a street fight tonight?" he asked. Bayley nodded. "If everything goes right, maybe this will be the night where I can finally get them out of our hair for good."

"Good luck tonight," Sasha blurted. Seth turned his attention to her and nodded.

"Thanks. I gotta go find the guys. Good luck tonight, Bayley. Sasha." With that, Seth left them. Sasha took her place beside Bayley, the two women watching him leave the catering area. Sasha shook her head.

"He looks mad enough to kill someone," Sasha observed. Bayley nodded.

"After the weekend he had, it's going to suck to be Sanity tonight," Bayley told her. She shook her head. "I wish I could cheer him up. I wish things weren't so bad between my friends. Jory's not answering any of my messages. She's not talking to anyone right now."

"Because she's hurting. I'm sure she'll be back online in a day or two." Sasha nudged Bayley. "Take it from me, Bayley, from one friend to another – this is between the two of them. Don't get involved."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bayley asked, eyes narrowing. Sasha's sympathetic gaze looked more patronizing than anything, especially coupled with her body language.

"Bayley, sweetie, you're an empath, and I know you want to help everyone and make everyone happy and you mean well, but this isn't a situation you want to step into the middle of. I'm not saying you can't be there for either of them, I'm just saying…be careful."

Bayley's lips pursed into a narrow line. "I gotta go get ready for my match."

Sasha knew that Bayley was offended. "Bay…"

"I'll see you after the show. You're driving for that one."

Sasha's smile was tight, her eyes widening slightly. She said nothing. Bayley was gone.

* * *

"Hey. You guys got a minute to talk?"

Dean and Roman looked up from their spot on the stairs to find Seth standing in front of them. Dean was busy taping up his hands for their upcoming match against Sanity. His eyes narrowed, and Seth knew that Dean was still angry about Seth's actions over the weekend in Melbourne. "I guess we're gonna have to, aren't we?" Dean asked, his tone veering on bitter. Roman ran a hand through his hair, moving it out of his face.

"We need to be on the same page tonight," Roman informed Seth. "Are you with us?"

"Of course I am," Seth assured him.

"Don't feed us bullshit," Dean snapped. "You fed us the same shit on Saturday, and how did that work out for us?"

"Look, I know you're mad, Deano, but we need to leave the weekend in the past where it belongs," Seth told him. "Tonight is a new night, and tonight we are going to have our hands full."

"You think we don't know that? Don't sit here and talk like we haven't been at your side with this Sanity bullshit from day one," Dean told him. Seth sighed.

"Do you want to hit me or something? Would that clear the sand out of your vagina?" Dean made a move, but Roman put a hand out to keep Dean seated.

"Guys, guys…" Roman interjected, shaking his head. "Come on. You guys can hash this shit out _after_ the match. Can we get through tonight first?"

Dean huffed, agitated, and returned his attention to wrapping his hand. "You don't have to worry about a thing, Seth. When the bell rings, we're on the same page," Roman told him. Seth nodded, but he didn't feel all that confident.

"After we win tonight, Rollins buys the beers," Dean grumbled. He looked at Seth, waiting for an objection, but Seth nodded. They both knew it was the least Seth could do since he'd made such a mess of things in Australia.

"You got it," Seth said. He moved towards the stairs and took his place beside Roman. "I'll even throw in some mozzarella sticks and jalapeno poppers."

"Rollins out here spoiling us," Roman said with a laugh.

"Let's just end all of this with Sanity tonight. They've been doing this shit for too long now, and it's time someone shuts them down. I can't think of three better guys for the job," Seth confided. Dean looked at him. Seth saw something flicker in his blue eyes before he started picking at the laces on his boots. Roman nodded.

"You're right about that, Seth." He put his fist out. Seth put his fist out. It took Dean a moment to realize what they were doing and he put his fist out as well. "They want war. Shield brings the sword."

* * *

It felt like a Bruce Springsteen kind of night.

Once again, Elias found himself sitting alone, all dressed up and nowhere to go, armed with nothing but his guitar. He'd arrived at the arena to find out that he had a promo spot in the ring, followed by a match with Apollo Crews, but to nobody's surprise, it had been cut just before showtime, leaving him with nothing to do but sit backstage and twiddle his thumbs. Somewhere he'd offended and enraged Baron Corbin, but he couldn't think of anything he'd done. He'd hardly crossed paths with the man.

Baron was definitely doing this on purpose, and Elias was quickly growing tired of having the rug pulled out from under him. He plucked at his guitar strings absently, wondering just how in the hell he was going to break out of the rut he'd found himself in.

He thought about Jory, who was undoubtedly at her home, licking her wounds and recovering from both an injury and a broken heart. She hadn't replied to the message he'd sent her, and he honestly didn't expect her to. There was something weird between the two of them, something that wasn't quite a friendship yet, but a camaraderie, and he felt like he had to reach out. She was the biggest topic backstage; the general consensus was that she'd shut down and gone completely off the radar.

When he'd gone to get tea earlier in the evening, he'd overheard Baron grilling Renee, and he found himself grinning. The fact that Baron hadn't been spared her silent treatment had lifted his spirits after such a lousy night.

He'd been indifferent towards Baron at first. When Stephanie had shoved out Kurt Angle and handed the reins over to Baron, Elias had shrugged. He supposed he should have known better; the old adage of absolute power corrupting absolutely hadn't rung in his mind at the time. Baron Corbin had seemed benign at first, eager to do a good job, make friends and please everybody, but underneath that fake exterior, he could see Stephanie and Hunter's teachings. It was a matter of time before he slipped into the role and started acting just like them, and it was already showing in how he had driven the morale at _Raw_ into the ground. He'd heard some people grumbling about moving to _SmackDown_. Those who complained openly were put in matches with opponents much larger, men who were given incentives to crush dissension. Elias couldn't figure out why Stephanie and Hunter had given him total control; anyone with a working set of eyes and a rational brain would have figured out that a wrestler with power would put themselves at the very top, at the expense of everyone else.

Elias turned his head to the side and huffed.

Jory was the perfect audience of one. She never made requests, never interrupted, never sang. She just sat quietly and listened to him play. It was a refreshing change from all the disrespect he got on a weekly basis from the fans and from his colleagues. He had gotten so used to her showing up to listen to him play so quickly that it seemed strange that she wasn't there.

He continued to play the riff of a song that wouldn't be heard. Elias couldn't help but wonder if he was ever going to make another appearance on the show, or if he needed to start thinking about making a change for the sake of his career.

* * *

She was wallowing, and she didn't care.

All day long, everyone had been calling and texting her, and all she wanted to do was be alone and lick her wounds. Since coming home, she'd let herself fall apart entirely. She'd spent the entire day in her pajamas; she hadn't bothered to brush her hair or do her makeup. The tears came and went in varying lengths. While life moved on at the WWE, Jory sat at home in mourning, grieving the loss of what she had. Even though things had become less than ideal in the end, she still loved him, and it still hurt. But she knew it was what she had to do. She couldn't take it anymore.

She hated that she cared, hated that she felt so low, and while she told herself that she wasn't going to watch _Raw_ when airtime came, she was on the couch watching the program like millions of other people.

Baron had called four times and had sent at least ten text messages, all of them under the guise of doing business. As far as she was concerned, she was off and answered to nobody. She had her suspicions that her extra time at home had more to do with keeping her out of the hair of Seth Rollins. _They cast him out, but they'll still protect him every day of the week,_ Jory thought bitterly. Seth Rollins was still their Golden Boy, their Poster Child.

Jory was ashamed to admit that her thoughts were so jumbled; during some moments, she thought about throwing herself at his mercy and seeing if they could work things out, and during other moments she thought he was an absolute scumbag. _How could you love a scumbag, Jory? You don't mean that. You're just angry. These thoughts will pass. He's probably thinking the same thing about you._

She sighed. On her coffee table were a bottle of red wine and a big glass. She was halfway through her second glass, and she wondered if the alcohol had given her thoughts such a bitter edge.

The first thing she'd done when she got home was remove all the pictures of Seth around the house. If she didn't have to look at him constantly, she supposed it would make her time off more manageable. It didn't help that she was sitting on her sofa, watching the all-out brawl The Shield was having with Sanity.

Sanity won the match after taking out Roman and Dean. Eric Young pinned Seth Rollins. Jory watched with narrowed eyes; Roman had landed awkwardly when they had used him like a lawn dart against the barricade. While Dean and Seth stirred, Dean leaned against the stairs holding a shoulder and Seth lying in the middle of the ring, Roman was the only one who didn't make a move. It didn't take Jory long to realize that something was very wrong.

* * *

Dean and Seth weren't sure how they were managing to stay in step beside the gurney moving at top-speed through the arena halls. Both men were still reeling from the beating they'd just suffered, still dressed in their ring gear and coated in sweat. Superstars, agents, writers, and producers were clearing the path like the Red Sea as the paramedics rushed the gurney towards the ambulance stationed at the edge of the arena.

On the gurney, Roman lay perfectly still. He felt weak and overheated from the neck down. The brace the paramedics put on his neck was uncomfortable, but he knew that it was important to keep him stabilized. He was doing his best not to move; his hands were in front of him, rested on the top of his thighs, fingers curling into his pants. Something was wrong, very wrong, and he knew the second that he'd felt the pop in his neck that he was going to have to give up the Universal Championship he'd fought so valiantly to have. His future was uncertain until they got him to the hospital and ran all the tests they needed to, but Roman was sure he was going to be put on the shelf for a very long time.

"You're gonna be okay, brother," Dean told him urgently. "Do you fucking hear me? You're Roman fucking Reigns, and you're going to be okay. _Say it_!"

"I'm Roman Reigns and I'm going to be okay," Roman murmured. His tone lacked Dean's level of conviction.

There was a sharp turn and the arena ceiling became concrete with basic fluorescent lights. Roman realized they were in the parking lot now, that the ambulance wasn't far. "Out of the fucking way! Move it!" Dean shouted.

Seth was quiet, and Roman knew that Seth was inside his own head. It wasn't exactly a secret that Seth's life had been in turmoil for the past few months, and Roman was sure that Seth probably felt some guilt about what had happened to him; after all, Roman got injured stepping into Seth's fight. But The Shield was more than a faction; they were a brotherhood, and Roman would have willingly stepped into the fight alongside his brothers if he had to do it over again. He had no regrets; it was just the kind of man he was.

The gurney came to a stop, and Roman knew that they were about to lift him to place him inside the ambulance. He wasn't at all surprised to see Dean and Seth in his periphery, assisting the paramedics with lifting him into the ambulance. "There's only room for one," Roman heard a paramedic say. Dean was already halfway in the ambulance as the words died in the air.

"I'll follow. Stay strong, Roman – I'm right behind you," Seth told him. Before Roman could muster anything else to say, the ambulance doors shut and they were speeding to the hospital, sirens blaring in the night.


	20. Burn It Down

**_A/N: I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and review this. This is gonna be the final chapter for part 2. I've got the first six chapters for the next installment brainstormed (not written yet; I haven't hit my groove that well), and I'm hoping to have the first chapter for part 3 up in the next while._**

 _ **Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed this.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 19:**

 **Burn It Down**

* * *

Stephanie McMahon stood in the General Manager's office with only two cameramen present.

Baron had tried to hover over Stephanie and pry for information, but she'd sent him away, explaining that when it came to the WWE Universal Championship and the current situation, it was up to a McMahon to handle business. He didn't like that; she'd seen the resentment flicker in his eyes at what he perceived to be her disrespect, but he knew better than to mouth off to a McMahon, and Stephanie's skin was far too thick to care about what he thought or felt. So he'd left to get a cup of coffee while Stephanie prepared to film a cold open statement to the WWE Universe.

She was dressed in a black Herve Leger bandage dress underneath a leather jacket, paired with a Connor's Cure bracelet and Louboutin heeled boots. Her long brown hair was brushed straight around her face, with natural makeup with lips a shade too pale for her tanned complexion. She stood in front of Baron's desk with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Are you ready to go, Miss McMahon?" a cameraman asked. Stephanie nodded.

"As ready as I'm ever going to be," she told him with a smile. He began to count her down. All day long, Stephanie had been stuck in meetings with her husband and father about how they were going to handle and address their current situation, and Stephanie had been surprised when Vince let her make the final decision herself. Instead of allowing the situation to hover over the entire show like a dark cloud, Stephanie had decided to jump in front of it. Taping it in Baron's office was a product of necessity; she needed to be able to hear herself. Out in the ring, with the fans jeering her, she wouldn't be able to.

The red light came on, and Stephanie's expression became stoic.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the WWE Universe," Stephanie began. "As you are well aware, during last week's chaotic main event between The Shield and Sanity, our Universal Champion Roman Reigns suffered a broken neck. Last Tuesday, he underwent successful emergency surgery to repair the damage, but he will, unfortunately, be out of action for an indefinite amount of time. Please join us tonight in wishing Roman Reigns a healthy and speedy recovery tonight using the hashtag 'Get Well Roman'."

"I am aware that Roman's injury leaves questions about the status of the Universal Championship. Any champion who cannot defend a championship within a six week time period must forfeit the championship. Prior to his surgery, Roman has given up the championship. Hunter and I have no choice but to declare the Universal Championship vacant.

"Starting tonight, and concluding at _Survivor Series_ , we will be holding a tournament to determine our next Universal Champion. First round matches will take place tonight and next week. Tonight we will see Finn Balor taking on our acting General Manager Baron Corbin, and Elias vs. Drew McIntyre.

"Also tonight, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins have demanded a match against all three members of Sanity, and tonight, those two teams will collide in our main event in a three-on-two handicap tornado tag match."

There was a second of silence, and then the red light disappeared. Stephanie turned her head, her gaze falling on the tournament bracket she'd left on Baron's desk. The cameramen left the office. She huffed.

"Is it safe to come back in?"

Stephanie turned to the doorway, where she found Baron standing with two cups of coffee. He was dressed in black, with a grey vest. She nodded. "It is. I left you a copy of the bracket on your desk."

"So…I have Finn Balor tonight," he stated. He handed Stephanie a cup of coffee. "Thought you could use this."

"Thank you. Yes, you do. I'll set up some promo time with Charly after the match."

"Sounds good." He sipped his coffee. "You're really gonna run Shield/Sanity again?"

Stephanie shrugged. "Dean and Seth want to avenge their fallen brother. It's noble, and it's their choice. Otherwise, it would be on sight all night back here, and you really don't want that." She walked past him. "I need to go find Hunter. Thank you for the coffee. Good luck out there tonight."

"Thank you." He watched Stephanie leave, sipping his coffee in silence.

At that moment, life felt good; as if having the position of acting General Manager of WWE's flagship program didn't boost his professional resume, holding the position while being Universal Champion come _Survivor Series_ was going to do wonders for his standing.

Admittedly, he was a bit perturbed that Stephanie, Hunter, and Vince had left him out of the bracket discussions entirely, but he was able to shake it off because he'd reaped some kind of benefit in the deal. To Baron, it was a sign of respect. Hunter and Stephanie gave him the additional opportunity because they liked what they saw him do, and they believed he could handle whatever they gave him. It was a good feeling.

Walking around his desk and sitting down, he looked at the brackets. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins were set to try and qualify the following week. With a snort, Baron took another sip of coffee. The last thing he wanted was to see the Universal Championship fitted around the waist of Seth Rollins. If he wasn't so sure that Stephanie and Hunter would have vetoed it, he would have traded Seth to _SmackDown_ months ago, and gotten him out of his hair.

"Heh. He's not going to be champion," Baron murmured to himself. "That's going to happen over my dead body."

* * *

Dressed in a neon pink bodycon dress, Charly Caruso stood across from Seth Rollins and beside Dean Ambrose, and it was obvious to her from one look that the two men had just endured a very difficult week. Seth's eyes looked tired, while Dean's blue eyes appeared red and swollen. Dean stood between them, an arm over his sternum, his other arm rested on it while his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. Seth was fidgeting. They were dressed in their gear, with their new Shield T-shirts, Seth's hair already wet and hanging around his face.

Both men couldn't stop thinking about the hospital. WWE had flown in Roman's wife, so until she arrived, they both stayed with Roman. Leaving him at such a vulnerable time hadn't been an option. When she'd arrived, beside herself with fear, she had leaned on Dean and Seth. They stayed with them until Roman had told them to leave. Seth knew that Roman was right, there was nothing they could do, but he felt like he'd deserted his brother.

Nobody was taking Roman's misfortune harder than Dean. In the past week, Seth had watched Dean chain smoke, drink coffee like water, and lash out in fits of anger that saw him throwing and punching things. While The Shield was a brotherhood, while they were close, Seth knew the bond between Dean and Roman was on another level, a connection that had only deepened when Seth had turned his back on them.

"Dean, Seth, I know that this past week has been incredibly tough on the two of you…" Charly began. Seth nodded. "I guess what I want to know – what we all want to know – is how is Roman doing?"

Seth licked his dry lips. "Roman tough. He's tougher than any of us," Seth said, his voice coming out hoarse and choked. Dean sighed.

"Sanity is gonna realize tonight that they messed up," Dean grumbled. Charly moved the microphone to him. "We've been going round and round with Sanity for months, and it ends tonight."

"Tonight we do this for Roman," Seth jumped in. "And Sanity is gonna be sorry they ever tried to make a name for themselves at the expense of The Shield."

The interview ended, and Dean was the first to walk away. Seth and Charly looked after him.

"He's taking this really hard," Charly observed. Seth nodded.

"It's been hard on both of us, but he's taking it as a personal failure," Seth confided.

"How are you doing?" she asked. "I know you've had a rough few weeks."

"I'm fine," Seth told her. "Everything else is just noise. Tonight, it's about Roman."

* * *

 _Life comes at you fast._

It was a fleeting thought in Elias' head as he lay on the cold concrete backstage, laid out in the hallway, his guitar broken at his side. The pain in his back and ribs were excruciating. He gasped, struggling to catch his breath, the repeated kicks to the ribs leaving him breathless.

When he'd arrived at the arena, he hadn't foreseen his night going like this. He'd come, armed with his bag in one hand and his guitar in the other. He'd hoped that it would be a different kind of night, that he would finally get a chance to go out onstage and entertain the WWE Universe. He'd been working on a song all week long, fine tuning and editing it until it was virtually unrecognizable from where he had started.

The first person he'd seen was Road Dogg, who told him about the Universal Championship situation, and that Stephanie and Hunter picked him to be in the tournament. It had been months since he'd heard his name mentioned with a title opportunity since he'd failed to capture the Intercontinental Championship, so the news was welcome.

"Great," Road Dogg had told him. "All you have to do is get past Drew McIntyre."

He'd put on a brave face and said it was easy enough, but deep down Elias knew that there was something amiss. It was no secret on or behind the cameras that Drew was Baron Corbin's enforcer, and he wasn't going to put it past Baron to help Drew get ahead in the tournament.

Now, laid out on the floor, with Drew and Baron standing over him, he knew that his suspicions had been correct. Mentally he berated himself for not keeping his head on a swivel; Drew had caught him from behind on the way to the ring, and he'd never seen it coming. Dana Brooke barely had time to shout "Look out" before he was on the ground. Drew had used his guitar as a weapon until it was impossible to wield.

Baron Corbin's master plan was to hold the General Manager's position while reigning atop _Raw_ as the Universal Champion. That much was obvious. But how far Baron was willing to go to rig things exactly how he wanted remained to be seen. Through teary eyes, Baron readjusted his slacks and knelt down beside Elias.

"Oh my God, who could have done this?" Baron asked loudly. It was so obvious he was being disingenuous, but Elias was still struggling to piece himself back together to call him out on it. Behind Baron, Drew was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "This is too bad. It's just too bad. I guess the match isn't happening. I guess we will have to put the word out that Drew McIntyre wins by forfeit."

" _No,"_ Elias practically growled. The expression on Baron's face faltered.

"Excuse me?"

Elias struggled to sit up. He looked at Drew. "I'll meet you in the ring."

Baron shook his head. "Since you want to be stupid…"

He stood. It appeared he was about to walk away, but Baron turned and leveled a hard kick to Elias' chest, knocking him back down to the ground. Elias wheezed and coughed on the ground. Drew took his place beside Baron. "You might want to get out there, Elias. Your match is next. You've got until ten."

At home, Jory watched, disgusted.

* * *

"Have you seen Dean around? I can't find him anywhere…"

Bayley turned to see Seth approaching her. She took a sip of her coffee and shook her head. She was in her ring gear, her trademark side ponytail swinging with every move. "No, I haven't. Not since you guys did your promo. Is everything okay?" she asked. Seth sighed.

"I don't know. I want to talk to him and go over strategy. The last thing I want is Dean joining Roman on the shelf," Seth lamented. He reached out and grabbed a cup, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "All of this is my fault," he vented. "This was my fight, and they came to help a brother out, and now God only knows when Roman's coming back, or if he's even going to be able to come back…"

"He's coming back," Bayley assured him. "He'll be back, and it'll be like he never left."

Seth sighed. Bayley's lips pursed into a sympathetic smile. She knew that between Jory and Roman, Seth was having a rough time trying to get himself back together. He'd been throwing himself into his school, into getting his second business venture off the ground, and she wondered if he was processing things.

"I wish I had your optimism, Bay. I really do." He took a sip. "Dean's even more volatile than usual."

"That's understandable, given the circumstances." Bayley reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. "He probably just needs some time to process things before the match. Let him have it because he'll be the Dean Ambrose you need when he steps through the curtain." Seth nodded.

"You're right."

"Of course I am." There was a moment's pause between them. "How are you holding up? I know the last couple of weeks have been pretty trying…"

"That's putting it mildly," Seth said with a laugh. "I'm holding it together just fine, Bayley. The good news is I'm too busy to think about a lot of things."

"Seth…"

"I'm fine. Everything sucks, and I hate life right now, but it'll even out eventually," he assured her.

"It will," she agreed.

"Have you talked to her at all?" he asked. Bayley shook her head.

"She's still freezing everyone out," she told him. "Have you tried talking to her?"

"There's nothing to say," Seth told her. He turned his head in time to see Elias walk through catering, the ice on his shoulder and ribs taped in place. He passed both of them with only a curt nod, reaching out to take a cup and fill it with hot water. They watched quietly as he scanned the selection of teas. Aware of the eyes on him, Elias looked at Seth and Bayley.

"I saw what happened out there," Seth told him. "Tough break."

"It's how it seems to go these days. Good luck out there." Elias put the teabag into the cup and walked away.

"So disgusting," Bayley replied. Seth nodded.

After the assault, Drew had gone to the ring. He'd called out Elias, and Elias had practically hobbled out to the ring. He'd barely made it in at the count of ten and was promptly demolished by Drew. Seth respected Elias' tenacity, but it was definitely one of those situations where he thought Elias should have sat the match out and lived to fight another day.

"Yep. But that's who she wants to be friends with," Seth said with a shrug. He sipped his coffee, said goodbye to Bayley, and went to find an empty space backstage where he could clear his head before the match.

* * *

"Obviously things didn't go the way that you had hoped tonight…"

The murderous scowl on Baron's face had the ability to force Charly into silence. He didn't like Charly; in fact, he _despised_ her. She had a penchant to get people in trouble; she claimed she asked the hard-hitting questions, but Baron didn't see it that way – he saw it as Charly stirring the pot.

Only months before, when he'd run afoul of Braun Strowman and spent the night trying his best to stay under the radar, she'd found him _every single time_ and gave away his position. He'd spent the whole night running for his life, only to be beaten within inches of his existence. Baron was sure she did that on purpose.

"Wow, you have a working set of eyes. You want a raise?" he barked at her. He was holding the back of his neck. Everything hurt. Once again, some way, somehow, Finn Balor had bested Baron Corbin yet again. He'd knocked Baron out of the Universal Championship tournament in round one. When the referee's hand hit the canvas for the third time, Baron's dreams of being Universal Champion with his GM position evaporated. Now, he was furious.

"So Finn Balor won tonight. Big deal. In two weeks, he's going to be facing Drew McIntyre in round two, and he's not getting through Drew. He's going to do to Finn what he did to Elias tonight, do you hear me?" Charly nodded quickly. "I am still the boss around here, and everybody still answers to me, so I still emerged the winner, do you understand me?" Charly nodded again. "I am the acting General Manager of _Raw_ , and one way or another, everyone around here – that includes you, too, Charly – will respect me. Now get out of my sight."

Charly was so scared of Baron's temperament that she left her own station. Baron looked at the cameramen. "What the hell are you looking at?"

* * *

Jory's living room floor was a sea of pastel and pastel paper, interspersed with white and manila envelopes.

With the extra time off, Jory was finally taking the time to sit on her living room floor and go through her fan-mail. She didn't pull voluminous amounts like Sasha Banks and Bayley, but she did pull in a fair amount. She'd noticed it had increased when she'd started feuding with Stephanie.

She grabbed her letter opener and cut open the top of a manila envelope. It felt heavy like something was framed. Pulling it out, her suspicions were proven correct when she pulled out the brown and silver frame. It was a beautiful piece of fan-art, Jory drawn as Jill Valentine in _Resident Evil: Nemesis_. The smile on her face grew wide. It was anime style, and the artist had even drawn the long scar down her forearm.

"Wow. This is incredible." She turned the frame around in her hands. She took a picture of it on her phone. Examining the picture further, she found an account handle underneath the signature. "I think I'll put this above the shelf with the comics." She put the frame down on the couch and grabbed another envelope.

One of the coolest things to Jory was fans who did fan-art. She always loved seeing what people came up with. After her appearance on Xavier Woods' YouTube channel, she'd seen an influx of _Resident Evil_ -themed fan-art. She'd seen pictures of herself as every female character, good and evil, and all of it hung in her office.

Someone had sent her a copy of all the keys from _Resident Evil 2_ – diamond, club, spade, and heart. It was always a weird feeling when fans gave her gifts, but it also touched her that someone thought of her so much that they just had to send it to her. "I gotta think of where I want to put these," she mused, her fingers running over the metal.

Once again, for the second week in a row, she'd told herself that she wasn't going to watch _Raw_ , but once again, here she was, seated on her living room floor with the main event on the television. It had been an eye-opening night. Baron was officially drunk with power. The way he'd treated Charly horrified her. The attack on Elias had been gutless, and Baron's actions in the aftermath left her with a sour taste in her mouth.

Seth had been right, and she'd always known that he was right. But she'd been stubborn. She wanted to see the good in Baron because he'd sought out her friendship. She supposed things could have been different had Stephanie not taken him under her wing, but she knew thinking in what ifs did nobody any good. The cold truth was staring her in the face, the way it always had, but tonight she was looking.

Her heart hurt for Elias. He had tried to overcome the odds stacked against him, but it had all been for naught. He'd been given an opportunity to earn one of the highest prizes in the sport, and he'd had the rug pulled out from under him. She thought about sending him a message, but she was going to be back at work the following week. She supposed she could just meet up with him then. She could let him have the night to try and piece himself back together.

Her attention was diverted from the fan-mail when she heard the bell ring. Seth and Dean had won in a match that had been downright crazy. Inside and outside the ring was littered with weapons, from kendo sticks to tables to steel chairs. Seth and Dean had walked into the match with fire. They were doing this for Roman.

The first thing she'd done when she'd heard word about Roman's surgery was to send flowers to the hospital. While things were terrible with her, Seth, and Dean, Roman had always been cool to her, and it was something she wouldn't have wished on her worst enemy. She couldn't imagine how he had to be feeling, laid up in a hospital bed with his family while his brothers were in the middle of a blood feud that didn't want to end. She knew that if he had been given the chance to do it again, that Roman would have picked up his sword and fought beside his brothers. His heart was that big.

Dean and Seth stood in the ring with their arms raised. Dean turned to Seth and said something. They embraced in a very bro-style hug. Seth rubbed the top of Dean's head and said something in his ear. Pulling back, Seth turned away to look at the ref for a moment. When he turned back to Dean, he dropped Seth with the Dirty Deeds onto a steel chair.

The crowd was stunned. So was Jory. They had dedicated the win to Roman, and it seemed like they were as unified as they could be. As she watched Dean on top of Seth, punching his prone body over and over again, Jory realized that Dean had been waiting to do this. He had been biding his time, waiting to catch Seth at his most vulnerable moment. He'd never forgiven Seth for what he'd done – he was still looking for revenge.

 _"Your life changes when I'm your enemy_."

Jory was almost impressed at Dean's ability to hold a grudge. She let out a sad sound when the camera panned to Seth to show him bleeding. Like a shark smelling blood, Dean became rabid. She cringed as Dean _bit_ Seth's forehead, trying to open the wound more. He pulled back, Seth's blood on his nose and smearing his cheeks. He smashed Seth's head against the chair. He stood, kicking Seth's prone body. He stormed around the ring, an arrogant swagger in his step. He ran a hand over his head, thinking about his next steps.

 _"Please don't do this…please don't do this…"_

Dean stomped over to Seth, who tried to put up a fight, but it was to no avail. He'd already taken a beating during the match. There was blood everywhere. Jory felt her stomach twist. Dean picked up a steel chair. She thought he was going to hit Seth with it, but instead, he set it up in front of him. Sitting down the way a substitute teacher would to look cool, Dean leaned on the back of the chair and grinned. Seth swung blindly, only for Dean to lean over and punch him square in the face. Seth fell back and Dean got up.

"I never forgave you, Seth. _Never_!" Dean shouted down at him. He kicked Seth in the ribs. _"You thought we were done?"_

" _Won't somebody please think of the children?"_

Jory heard the fan's shout on the hard camera and she shook her head.

Referees began to swarm the ring. With one last kick to Seth's head, Dean moved quick, jumping out of the ring and over the barricade, into the stands. The tape on his hands and wrists were stained red with Seth's blood. He stopped halfway up the steps, staring at the referees who were working on getting Seth out of the ring and to the back.

The camera did a close-up on Dean, and she saw the fire in his eyes. She could feel it through the TV and it left her feeling chilled to the bone. His grin was deranged. His past as an ultraviolent hardcore wrestler had reared its head. He wasn't going to be happy until he'd rearranged Seth's face as he'd promised to all those years ago.

* * *

Seth walked inside his hotel room, feeling more exhausted and defeated than he ever had in his life. He turned to Bayley, who had changed into blue jeans and a Paramore T-shirt, her hair down around her face. "Do you need me to stick around?" she asked. He shook his head; Sasha was already bent out of shape with her for not driving to the next town. Instead, Bayley had stayed with Seth while he'd gotten stitched and his wounds cleaned. He couldn't drive, so Bayley took over.

"Nah. I'm good. Thank you. You should get back to Sasha. I'll be all right," he assured her. She shot him a look, her expression sad. She approached him and gave him a tight embrace. "You give the best hugs," he told her.

"It's why I'm the hugger," she told him. She pulled back. "If you need anything, call me, okay?"

"I will. Thank you. I'm just going to have a shower and go to bed." She nodded. With one last look, Bayley left the room. Seth turned to the empty hotel room and sighed.

He was thankful for Bayley. If she weren't around, he would be completely alone. Roman was gone; for how long, he didn't know. But he wished Roman was there. He realized that Roman had been the glue that held The Shield together, and with him gone, it had all fallen apart so quickly. He hadn't seen it coming, not tonight; he thought for sure they were on the same page. What had he missed?

Dean had officially gone off the deep end. He knew Dean wasn't on Twitter or any kind of social media, so if he wanted an explanation, he was going to have to wait until the following week like everyone else. Dean wasn't going to answer his calls or his text messages. He'd gone from high to low so quickly that his head was still spinning with what happened. He could still feel Dean's teeth in his forehead.

Seth knew in the days before WWE came knocking on his door that Dean had a reputation for being extremely violent and bloodthirsty. He thought WWE had tapered those tastes, but he'd been proven wrong. As he moved gingerly towards the bathroom, every bone in his body aching, Seth realized for the first time that maybe he had never known Dean Ambrose as well as he thought he did.

He knew in the days before WWE that Dean had a reputation for being scrappy and hungry, for being extremely violent and bloodthirsty, but he was sure WWE had tapered those tastes. Tonight, he'd been proven wrong. As he moved slowly towards the bathroom, Seth realized for the first time that maybe he never knew Dean Ambrose as well as he thought he had.

Dean had made it clear – he still needed to pay for the sins of his past. Dean never forgot about the things Seth had done to him – the assaults, the cinderblocks, the betrayal. With a sigh, Seth stripped out of his clothes and got in the shower. Tomorrow would be a new day, and he was going to have to figure out what his next steps were because he was sure Dean was already three steps ahead.

He thought about Jory. She was gone.

Through the prism of his night, Seth thought about his ex-girlfriend in far more complementary ways than he had since their split. Beaten down and defeated, Seth was willing to sell a few vital organs just for her to show up at his door with a few pints of ice cream. That had always been their thing. In his sadness, he felt like he'd taken all of that for granted.

Staring at the reflection in the mirror, Seth felt like he had been kicked back to square one. He had a chance to bounce back next week when he had his match in the Universal title tournament, but for now, all he wanted to do was lick his wounds. The universe felt aligned against him on this night, and he felt like he was alone. Deep down, a part of him knew that he earned some of what had happened, but it did nothing to make him feel better.

At that moment, he wished Jory was still with him. But she'd left her love for him in Australia.


End file.
